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L  T  B  R  a:  R  Y 

'  OF  THE        ^  * 

Theological   Seminary, 

PRINCETON,    N.  J. 


-Division 


Case, 

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Hora  SoUtarta; 

OR, 

ESSAYS 

UPON    SOME    REMARKABLE 

NAMES  AND  TITLES 


OF     THE 


HO  L  r    SP  IRITy 

OCCURRING    IN 

The  Old  and  New  Testaments,  and  declarative  of  his  essential 
Divinity  and  gracious  Ofjices  in  the  Salvation  of  Man  : 

TO    WHICH    IS    ANNEXED, 

A  BRIEF  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  HERESIES, 

Relative  to  the  Doarine  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 

Which  have  been  published  since  the  Christian  ^ra. 


Whosoever  speaketh  against  the  HOLY  GHOST  *  *  * 


K^yJnhf%t  (VeAM^ 


First  American,  f^om  the  second  London  Edition. 


Philadelphia: 
Printed  br  COCHRAN  isf  M'Lauchlin,  No.  108  Race-Street. 

1801. 


\ 


PREFACE 

TO  THE  FIRST  EDITION. 

THE  former  Volume  of  Essays,  which  chiefly  related  to  the 
divinity  of  CHRIST,  -was  composed  in  hours  of  retreat  from 
the  business  of  the  -world  :  The  present,  which  treats  of  the  divi- 
nity of  the  HOLY  SPIRIT,  has  been  written  in  full  retirement 
from  the  world  itself.  It  was  therefore  supposed,  that  the  Title 
of  JIor<e  Solitaria  might  not  be  improper  for  both. 

However  trite  and  common  the  apology,  it  can  very  truly  be 
said,  that  this  part  of  the  work  was  attempted  and  now  appears  at 
the  instance  of  a  learned  and  most  valuable-friend,  whose  wishes 
with  the  author,  on  the  best  of  accounts^  ought  to  have  the  force 
of  commands,  and  whose  worth  and  eminence  it  might  seem  vain 
to  mention  upon  this  occasion,  as  it  would  be  thought  superfluous 
(did  he  take  the  liberty  to  name  him)  upon  any. 

The  two  volumes,  beyond  the  particular  subje6ls  of^ach,  con- 
cur in  one  common  design  to  shew  ;  That  the  doclrine  of  a 
TRINITY  or  PERSONS  in  one  and  the  same  JEHOVAH  is 
essential  to  the  very  being  of  the  Christian  religion  ;  and.  That  the 
practical  use  or  experience  of  this  truth,  including  and  combining 
all  the  other  principles  of  the  faith,  is  the  proper  constituent  of 
the  Christian  life.  If  the  Essays  tend  to  confirm  a  do6\rine  so  im- 
portant, or  to  induce  an  improvement  so  desirable,  the  author  may- 
be credited  in  having  no  other  purpose  in  their  publication  ;  un- 
less indeed  this  consideration  can  be  thought  to  have  an  undue 
influence  with  him,  that  any  advantage,  which  the  public  indul- 
gence may  allow  on  the  sale  of  the  book,  is  already  devoted  to 
the  household  of  faith,  and  will  be  applied  by  a  difierent  hand. 

The  author's  distance  from  the  press  has  increased  the  imper- 
fe6lions  of  his  papers,  which  the  candid  and  intelligent  reader 
will  have  the  goodness  to  corre6l  or  excuse  :  And  he  ventures 
humbly  to  solicit  every  reader,  who  is  duly  sensible  of  the  conse- 
quence of  divine  truth,  that  prayer  may  be  made  for  the  blessing 
of  grace>  without  which  no  human  endeavors  can  be  successful, 
and  that  all  the  praise,  if  the  least  good  ensue,  be  rendered  to 
HIM,  "  from  whom  all  holy  desires,  all  good  counsels,  and  all 
just  works,  do  proceed." 


CONTENTS. 


Pages 

LORD,  or  JEHOVAH  ^                —                     5 

Ai^EHiM,  or  God  —                —                —         ^^ 

Adonai                      —  —             ^                —                  48 

Most  High                        — .  —             —                  —         59 

Holy  Spirit           '  _  __             ^             — -                   7S 

Eternal  Spirit                —  —              ^             -,          90 

Comforter                -,  —                    —                      102 

Spirit  of  Life                          —  —                                  118 

Water  of  Life                 —  —                      ^140 

Spirit  of  Truth  —                       —                          160 

Spirit  of  Grace                — -  —                                 ^70 

Spirit  of  Adoption  —                        —                  181 

Spirit  of  Faith                     —  —                               195 

Law                             — '  —                         —              213 

Voice                 —  —                          ^-.                        228 

Spirit  of  Wisdom,  &:c.  —                 —                    241 

Spirit  of  Counsel                 —  »-«                     -^       245 

Spirit  of  Might  —                      —                   246 

Spirit  of  Knowlcde  —                      —                          247 

Spirit  of  Fear  of  Jehovah  —                         ^248 

Guide                             —  .           -T                     —                   ^^^ 

Teacher  —         '                —                           251 

Power                      — ^  —                              —               267 

Spirit  of  Promise  —                         —            284 

Love                              —  —                                297 

Understanding  —                         —                        312 

Oil  of  Gladness  —                             —                ^25 

Conclusion                    —  —                    —              ^^"^ 


N       A       M       E      S, 

TITLES    AND    ATTRIBUTES, 

OF       THE 

HOLY     SPIRIT, 

Revealed  in  the 
TWO    TESTAMENTS. 

LORD, 

OR 

JEHOVAH. 

THE  import  of  this  glorious  name  has  been  considered  is 
the  former  Volume,  in  which  it  was  shewn,  that  the 
Almighty  called  himself  by  this  title,  to  explain,  to  our  un- 
derstandings, his  necessary,  independent,  self-existent  Being, 
and  to  impress  us  with  the  idea  of  his  own  immutability  and 
eternity,  and  of  the  derivation  of  all  other  existence  from 
him*  This  name  of  course  cannot  belong  to  a  creature^  is 
nes^er  applied  to  any,  but  is  claimed  distin6lly  from  all  other 
names  and  attributes  by  the  Great  Author  and  Creator  of  all 
things. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  this  Essay  to  prove,  that  the  incommu- 
nicable name  JEHOVAH  belongs  to  the  HOLY  SPIRIT  : 
And  such  testimonies  will  be  brought  for  this  end,  as  (it  is 
hoped)  may  confirm  every  believer,  and  do  something  to  si- 
lence the  mouth  of  th*  gainfayer ;  because  they  will  be  testi- 
monies from  Him  ijoho  cannot  lie — from  Him,  who  cannot  be 
mistaken  himself,  and  who  is  too  good  and  gracious,  in  the 
remotest  degree  to  deceive  us*  We  shall  see,  as  we  go  along, 
what  a  glory  this  sublime  truth  throws  upon  all  the  other 
do6lrines  of  the  gospel,  and  in  what  perfe6l  agreement  it  pro- 
ceeds with  the  analogy  of  faith  revealed  in  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments,  and  (it  may  be  added)  revealed  in  every  Chris- 
Vol.  II.  J3 


LORD,  OR  JKHOVAH. 

To  those   who 

neither  know  the  Scriptures  nor  the  power  of  God^  it  is  not 
presumed,  that  any  evidence  upon  this  subject,  from  those 
Scriptures, , can  be  saLisfaclory  ;  since,  as  our  Lord  assures 
us,  that,  rcjeiSliiig  these,  they  ivould  not  (or  could  not)  believe 
though  one  arose  from  ihc  dead.  The  SPIRIT  JEHOVaH 
hijnself  rjiust  aiTord  an  Elcncbiis^  or  energy,  to  his  own  testi- 
mony ;  or,  ccuid  they  cease  to  be  declared  infidels,  they 
would  only  become  mere  speculatists,  and  consequently  no- 
tional, not  real  believers.  But  to  those,  whose  imderstand- 
iugr,  are  opened  lo  understand  the  Scriptures  (Luke  xxiv.  45.) 
aiid  from  whose  hearts  the  stone  is  in  some  measure  removed 
(Ezek.  xxxvi.  26.)  it  is  hoped,  thett  the  evidences  of  this 
great  truth  will  not  only  be  convincing  and  undeniable,  but 
(wh.at  scjems,  to  the  author,  of  more  momentl  edifying  and 
establishing  in  their  most  holy  faith.  Merely  to  inform  the 
jadgment,  is  but  half  the  object :  Tlie  desire  is,  that,  with  a 
clear  and  sound  comprehension  of  the  truth,  the  heart  may 
be  waraied  with  the  love  of  it,  and  the  soul  built  up  thereon 
by  a  happy  and  divine  experience.  The  SPIRIT,  of  whom 
we  are  ti-eaiing,  is  alone  able  to  effect  this  :  Reader,  look  up 
to  him  fov  his  blessing,  that  thou  m.aycst  be  led  in  a  right  way 
to  a  right  end;  which  is,  by  the  power  of  grace,  to  the  glory 
of  JEifOVAii,   and  thine  own  salvation. 

Our  first  design  is  to  prove,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  Je- 
hovah ;  and  our  next,  that,  being  Jehovah, J  he  is  able  to 
accomplish  all  that  is  faid  of  Him,  and  all  that  is  necessary 
lor  us  to  life  eternal. 

It  will  be  granted  by  all  but  professed  Atheists,  and  no 
Christian  therefore  can  deny  it,  VThat  there  is  but  one  Jeho- 
vah.' We  are  slandered,  consequently,  when,  upon  our  pro- 
fession to  believe,  tliat  the  Father  is  Jehovah,  the  Son  Jeho- 
vah, and  the  Spirit  Jehovah,  it  is  said  of  us  that  we  talk  of 
three  Gods  ;  for  the  very  name  Jehovah  (if  cur  adversaries 
would  but  understand  it)  entirely  precludes  that  notion.  A 
.simple,  infinite,  perfecl  essence  must  necessarily  be  indivisi- 
ble :  Nor  do  we,  in  our  idea,  presume  to  make  divisions  in 
the  Deity,  but  to  believe  only  those  distinctions  of  persons, 
hypostases,  or  subsistences  in  Him,  of  which  he  himself  hath 
been  pleased  to  give  a  revelation,  and  by  which  revelation  a- 
lone  we  can  knovv  any  thing  of  the  matter.     We  are  not  ns^ise 

\  One  cannot  help  wishing  with  Forster^  that  the  Hebrew  name 
Jthovah  were  preserved  in  all  translations  of  the  Bible,  qvod  h<cc 
atlribuca  [i.  e.  Dominus  et  Deus]  ncqiie  ecsentlar.i  divinam^  neqtie  no- 
minis propriam  sigyiijicciionem  expritvant ;  "  because  these  titles  of 
Lord  and  Gccrcnn  neither  express  the  divine  essence,  nor  give  the 
proper  sir^jiifi cation  of  his  names." 


LORD,    OR    JEHOVAH.  7 

Hoove  *what  is  ^^ritten  ;  nor  would  we  be  too  proud  or  sclf- 
Rufficient  to  follow  the  written  wisdom  of  God.  In  another 
case,  when  our  philosophers  speak  of  the  light,  or  fire,  or 
substance  of  the  material  sun  ;  they  would  dccin  it  an  insult, 
if  they  were  accused  of  maintaining,  trfat  there  were  several 
suns  i  because  of  those  distinclions,  which  tney  perceived  in 
his  nature.  And,  by  a  very  small  share  of  candor,  those, 
who  charge  the  Christians  with  Trithelsm,  for  holding  the 
do6lrine  of  the  Trinity,  might  have  saved  themselves  iVom 
committing  a  violent  injustice  ;  because,  though  we  maiiitain, 
that  "  each  Person  by  himself  is  Jehovah,"  yet  v/e  also  de- 
clare, that  there  are  not  three  Loins,  but  one  i^ord,  accotd- 
ing  to  what  is  written  in  Deut.  vi,  4.  Hear,  O  Israel,  Jeho- 
vah our  Alehim  is  owt' Jehovah. — Noi  doth  it  strike  our  rea- 
son with  more  repugnance  to  assert  this  conc'jniing  a  spiricual 
essence,  of  which  we  can  know  nothing  but  what  Is  revealed, 
when  God  himself  hath  revealed  this  doClnne  to  us;  than  ic 
can  the  reason  of  a  philosopher  to  conceive  li^ht  and  heat  in 
a  material  substance,  v/ithout  affeuing  the  lihiiy  of  that  sub- 
stance, when  he  knows  this  only  by  i)is  senses,  which  in  some 
respecls  are  acknov/ledged  to  be  fallacious,  la  the  one  case, 
there  is  the  testirnoiiy  of  God,  who  surely  knovv's  the  mode 
of  h'S  cv/n  being,  and  who  is  himself  pure  and  perfect  rea- 
son ;  but  in  the  other,  we  have  only  the  evidence  of  sense, 
which  not  only  is  not  reason,  but  very  often  is  contrary  to 
it.  Yet  were  we  to  assert  the  existence  of  three  separate 
«uns,  because  we  could  find  as  many  properties  in  our  one 
sun;  we  should  have  enough  to  laugh  at  us  for  our  notion, 
and  especially  among  those  who  are  so  unfair  (not  to  say 
worse)  as  to  accuse  us  of  believing  in  three  separate  Gods, 
because  we  assert  three  divine  hypostases,  or  pelsons,  to  be 
in  the  Godhead,  and  this  upon  the  authority  of  God  himself. 
Who  then  a6^L  the  most  rationally  ;  they^  who,  confessing 
God  to  be  incomprehensible^  yet  presume  to  define  his  infinite 
nature  according  to  their  ov/n  low  and  limited  not'iou^  ;  cr 
we,  who,  acknowledging  tbat  his  being  infinitely  transcends 
all  human  investigation,  receive  with  humble  submission  that 
testimony,  v/hicli  he  hath  given  us  of  himself?  We  never  pre- 
tend, that  God's  existence  is  a  subjedl  of  human  reason  :  Nor 
have  we  so  little  reason  as  to  attempt  the  measure  of  all  InG- 
nitude  by  a  finite  rule.  The  presumption  of  infidelity^  wb.icii 
afFe6is  to  believe  nothing  beyond  its  ovv^n  puny  coriiprehen- 
sion,  and  yet  blames  those  who  cannot  believe  it  upon  a  point 
confessedly  incomprehensible ;  is  at  once  too  daring  to  be 
safe,  and  too  ignorant  to  be  trusted,  in  a  matter  of  such  im- 
portance. God's  own  wisdom  and  truth,  in  this  rcspe(5>:,  are 
only  sufFicient  to  satisfy  us  :  But,  if  they  v/ere  not,  v.-e  cer- 
tainly could  not  be  satisfied  v/ith  the  cogita-Zicns  cf  poo/  'iv.^r. 


8  LORD,    OR    JEHOVAH. 

tals,  who  know  not  even  the  mode  of  their  own  being,  or  bo^ 
thernstives  think,  nor  indeed  the  essence  of  any  one  material 
substance  about  them, 

The  SPIRIT  is  JEHOVAH. 

Jeremiah  xxxi.  33,  34.  This  shall  be  the  covenant^  saitb 
Jehovah — —they    shall  teach  no  more  every  man  his  neigb^ 

hour sayings  know  Jehovah  ;  for  they  shall  all  know  me — • 

saith  Jehovah. 

John  xvi.  13.  When  He  the  Spirit  of  truth  is  come^  be 
will  guide  you  into  all  truth. 

This  is  the  accomplishment  of  the  promise,  that  Jehovah 
the  Spirit  guides  into  all  truth,  and  makes  himself  known  to 
liis  people.  An  obvious  distin6lion  is  here  made  between  the 
teaching  of  God  and  of  man  ;  And  as  obvious  a  facl  it  appears, 
that  the  Spirit  guiding^  in  one  text,  is  Jehovah  promised 
to  be  known  in  the  other. 

Deut.  vi.  16.  with  Matth,  iv.  7.  Ihou  shalt  not  tempt  Je« 
HOVAii  thy  Alehim 

Acts  v.  9*  How  is  it  that  ye  ha^e  agreed  to  tempt  the  Spi- 
KIT  of  the  LoRDT 

Ananias  and  Sapphira  for  this  temptation  were  judici- 
ally seized  by  i.nrnediate  death  which  proved  upon  facSl,  that 
they  had  not  lied  unto  men,  but  unto  God^  and  that  to  tempt  the- 
Spirit,  IS  no  othei  than  to  tempt  Jehovah  himself,  which 
could  not  be  unless  the  Spirit  were  Jehovah. J 

Acts  xxviii.  ij-  ^^t^^^  sp\ke  the  Holy  Ghost  by  Esaias 
the  prophet^  &c.  But  we  read  in 

Luke  i.  68,  70.  that  it  was  the  the  Lord  God  [Jehovah 
Aleiii.i]  of  Israel,  who  spake  by  the  mouth  of  his  holy  Pro- 
phets^ which  have  been  since  the  world  began.  See  Micah 
ill.  8. 

It  follows,  then,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  Lord  God 
of  Israel- 

I'Sam.  xvi.  13.  The  Spirit  of  Jehovah  came  upon  Da- 
y'ld  from  that  day  forward. 

But  in  the  i8th  verse,  it  is  said  expressly,  that  Jehovah 
was  with  him. 

Deut.  xxxii.    12,  Jehovah   alone  [nn  entirely   alone]    did 

lead  him   [Jacob,   a    colledive  name  for  his  people].    But  in 

Isaiah  Ixiii.  u,  12.  We  read  that  it  was  the  Holy  Spirit, 

that  led  than   by  the  right  hand  of  Moscr,^    with  his  glorious 

Arm. 

\  See  an  excellent  note  upon  this  argument,  in  Jones's  Catholii, 
Doctrine  of  a  Trinity,  p.  ^I.  3d.  Edit> 


LORD,    OR    JEHOVAH.  ^ 

The  Holy  Spirit,  therefore,  is  Jehovah. 

IsAiAM  vi.  9.  Jehovah  Sabaoth  said,  ^0  and  tell  this 
people^  bear  yc  indifcd^  but  understand  not  ;  and  sec  ye  indeed^ 
but  perceive  na.,  ^c.   But  the  Apoillc  says. 

Acts  xxviii,  25.  Well  spake  the  HoLY  Ghost  by  Esaias 
the  proj^bet  unto  Qur  fathers^  sayi:ig^  go  unio  this  people ^  and 
say^  bearing  ye  sball  bear^  and  shall  not  understand^  'is'c. 
Therefore, 

The  Holy  Ghost  is  Jehovah  Sabaoth. § 

Numbers  xii.  6.  Jf  tbtre  be  a  propbet  among  you%  t 
Jehovah  will  make  myself  known  unto  birn  in  a  vision^  &:c. 

%  Pet.  L.  12.  For  the  prophe-cy  came  not  in  old  time  by  the 
*will  of  man  ;  but  holy  raen  of  God  spake  as  they  were  moved  by 
.the  Holy  Ghost. 

The  Holy  Ghost,  therefore,  must  be  Jehovah. 

The  Hame  Jehovah  in  the  Old  Testament  is  rendered  by 
Kyfisi-  in  the  Nevv^,  and  into  the  English  by  Lord,  which  cer- 
tainly doth  not  convey  the  sense  of  the  original  word.  It  is, 
however,  as  well  as  to  the  Father  and  the  Son,  applied  to  the 
Holy  Spirit  ;  though  not  very  modestly  or  carefully  denied 
by  the  opposers  of  his  divinity.     Thus, 

2.  Cor.  iii,  17,  18.  For  the  Lord  is  the  Spirit — even  as  by 
the  Lord  the  Spirit ;  for  so  it  should  have  been  tiansiated; 
as  indeed  it  is  so  translated  in  the  margin  of  our  larger  Bibles. 

Col.  ii.  9.  In  him  [ChristJ  dwelkth  all  the  fullness  of  the 
Godhead  bodily, 

Isaiah  xi-  %.  And  the  Spirit  Jehovah  sball  rest  upon  bim^ 
&c.  Matth.  xii.  18.     I  will  put  my  Spirit  upon  him^  &c. 

The  Spirit  therefore  is  the  fullness  of  the  Godhead,  not 
separate  from  (for  that  is  impossible,  the  Godhead  being  one) 
the  other  divine  Persons,  but  in  unity  with  them,  participa- 
ting the  undivided  essence. 

Isaiah  Ixiii.  10.  The  Israelites  of  old  rebelled  and  vexed 
his  Holy  Spirit.     But  in 

Numb.  xiv.  11.  They  are  said  to  have /'royoii?^  Jehovah, 
and  in  Psalm  Ixxviii.  56.  to  have  tempted  and  provoked  the 
^MosT  High  God. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is,  therefore,  Jehovah  and  the  Most 
High  God. 

Psalm  xxxiii.  6.  By  the  word  of  Jeuqv  ah  were  the  Heavens 
made  and  all  the  host  of  them  by  the  Spirit  [n\-A  of  his 
mouth.     But  it  is  said, 

S^  See  some  valuable  notes  from  the  Fatliers  upon  this  argument, 
I?  H^^  excellent  volume  of  sermons  upon  the  Divinity  of  tiie  Kolv 
Spirit,  by  the  late  Mr.  John  Hurrion :  Printed  1734.  'And  also  A 
Answer  to  some  ObjeCticns  in  Sloss's  Sermons  upon  the  Trinity: 
.^erm.  xvi.    Se  also  Vy'itsij  Er.crc.  in  Is.  vi.  ^ 


lo  LORD,    OR    JEHOVAH. 

Prov.  xvi.  4.  Jehovah  madt  all  things  for  himself^  Sec. 
And  that,  Acts  xvii.  24*  Ood  made  the  ijoorld^  and  all  things 
therein. 

The  Spirit,  therefore,  as  well  as  the  Son,  is  both  Jeho- 
vah and  G03:). 

Romans  xv.  9.  The  apostle  ascribes  the  mighty  signs  and 
wonders,  wrought  in  conhrniation  of  the  gospel,  to  the  pow- 
er of  the  Spirit  of  God.     But  the  Psalmist  says,  in 

Psalm  cxxxvi.  that  it  is  Jehovah,  the  Alehim,  the  Lord 
of  Lords^  ivho  alone  doetb  great  ^venders. 

The  Holy  Ghost,  therefore,  is  Jehovah,  God  over  all, 
blessed  for  ever. 

Many  more  arguments  of  this  kind  might  be  drawn  from  the 
Scriptures  ;  but  these,  it  is  presumed,  may  suffice  :  At  least, 
they  may  suffice,  tiii  they  are  proven  not  to  support  the  Holy 
Spirit's  Divinity,  or  that  the  term  Jehovah  may  belong  to  a 
creature,  an  emanation,  or  a  sort  of  inferior  God  like  the 
demi-god  of  the  heathen  ;  which  probably  the  adversaries  of 
tliis  truth,  with  all  their  acuteness,  may  not  be  in  haste  to 
perform.  When  they  have  done  this,  they  have  but  one  step 
farther,  and  that  is,  to  prove  that  self-existence  belongs  to 
any  thing  or  nothing,  just  as  they  please. 

But  if  God  be  true,  and  can  give  the  b-^st  account    of  his 
ov\rn  being ;    then,   upon  the  authority   of  his  holy  word,  we 
may  rest  satisfied,  that  the  Spirit  is  Jehovah.     It  seems  even 
V,  onderfui,  how  any  man,  who  pretends  to  reason  or  philoso- 
phize upon  the  data  of  the  Bible,  can  be  absurd  enough  to  de- 
ny a  truth,  so  strongly  marked  from   one  end  of  that  book  to 
the  other.      For,  to   talk  of  the  Spirit  of  Jehovah,  the  Spirit 
pf  the  Alehim,  or  of  God,  as  a  separate,  inferior,  aid  depend- 
ent being;    is  to  assume,  that  God  hath  parts  and  divisions, 
and   that,   so  far  from   having  a  simplicity   of  nature,  he  is  a 
.composition  of  superiority  and  inferiority,    enduring  a  com- 
parison with  liimself,   which  entirely   takes  away  every  idea 
of  his  perfection,  infmiiude  and  eternity.      If  the  Spirit  be  se- 
^   parate  from  Jeliovali,  or  is  not  Jehovah  himself;  then  the  ti- 
tle Spirit  of  Jehovah,  so  frequently  given,  is  a  dreadful   mis- 
take into  which  (it  seems)  God  himself  hath  led  us  ;   and  the 
being  so  called  dwindles  down  at  once  into  a  mere  minister  of 
deity,  an  angel,  or  some  other  creature.     It  follows  too,  that 
something  can  be  in  the  Godhead,  vvnich  is  not  of  the  God- 
head, and  tliat  God's    Spirit,    by    which   he   made  all  thing?, 
may  be  like  our  breath  and  vanish  into  thin  air.   To  such  ab- 
surdity  of  blasphemy  does  some  men's  opinions   necessarily 
lead  them,  if  they   are  but  extended  to  tlieir  natural  length, 
without  any  straining  or  perversion. 

If  likewise,   the    Spirit   be  inferior  or   dependent,  he    can 
neither  be  infinite  nor  etern?J  :  Or,  if  he  be  infinite  and  eter- 


LORD,    OR    JEHOVAH.  ri 

nal,  be  v/IU  be  equal  to  Jehovah  himself,  and  consequently 
must  eitlier  be  Jehovah,  which  we  believe;  or  there  must  b^ 
two  Jehovahs,  two  eternal  and  infinite  beings,  which  we  deny, 
and  which  no  man  in  his  senses  can  maintain.  The  doctrine 
of  two  first  principles*  is  absurd  in  reason  ;  and  by  religion 
we  are  told,  that  Jehovah  our  ALEeiiM  is  but  oN£  Jehovah. 

God  is  one  pure,  uncompounded,  infinite,  and  eternal,  es- 
sence ;  a  mere  and  simple  ace;  the  spring  of  all  power,  wis- 
dom and  being.  HEl  only  IS  ;  And  vvhatever  can  be  predi- 
cated of  him,  does  not  merely  belong  to  him,  like  a  quality  in 
the  creatures  ;  but  IS  HIMSELF.  Whatever  is  nov/  in 
him,  ever  w^j  in  him  :  It  is  liis  Ens  ;  it  is  Himself. '\  If, 
therefore,  the  Spirit  be  of  Jehovah,  according  to  his  name 
and  the  proofs  already  given  from  divine  authority  ;  then  hj: 
IS  Jehovah  essentially,  infinitely,  and  eternally  :  And  there 
is  no  avoiding  this  conclusion,  but  by  denying  him  to  be  the 
Spirit  of  God ;  in  which  case,  a  flat  contradiction  will  be  giv- 
en to  every  text  of  Scripture,  which  calls  him  by  that  name. 

The  Sfirit,  therefore,  being  Jehovah,  not  ol  like  but  of 
o?7f  and  the  same  essence  ,  he  depends  upon  no  other  being  tor 
his  being,  but  is  necessarily  self -existent.,  infinite.,  and  eternal' 

If  he  be  not  self -existent^  &c.  then  he  is  not  fehovah.,  or  a 
person  in  the  essence  Jehovah ;  for  that  name  implies  an 
At'To^yy?  or  self-existence  ;  and  consequently  he  is  only  a  crea- 
ture. But  if  he  be  not  a  creature,  but  Jehovah.,  himself;  he 
then  is  whatever  can  be  predicated  of  Jehovah.,  and  pc-ses- 
ses  all  the  attributes  which  Jehovah  has  claimed,  or  which 
can  possibly  be  ascribed  to  him.  And  when  the  Vv'isdom  of 
God  informs  us,  that  in  the  ONE  Jehovak  there  are  THREE  , 
Hypostases,  or  Persons,  or  Alehim,  ceconomicaily  scyled 
Father,  Son,  and  SpiriT  ;  we  ma;/  be  assured  there  can  be 
no  contradiction  m  this  ic^v'-nony.  Nor  is  this  testimony 
proposed  to  us  as  a  matter  to  :.e  submitted  to  our  little  rea- 
6oninr;s  and  speculation,  but  as  an  urticle  of  faith^  in  the  re- 
ception of  which  we  may  be  led  up  to  communion  with  the 
Godhead  in  three  persons,  agreeabl:*  t  >  our  dependence  upon 
them  in  their  respective  oiHces  of  Faibcr.,  Redeemer.,  and 
Sanctifier,  Nor  yet  do  we  ''  divide  the  substanv-e"  of  Deity 
by  this  our  faith ;  for  though  we  say,  that  each  of  the  three 

*  Marcion  and  Cerdon.,  with  come  ether  of  the  ancient  heretics, 
iriaintained  this  preposterous  tenet,  v/hich  common  sense  can  ea- 
sily refute. 

t  To  this  effect,  Eulogius  of  Alexandria  observes,  "  that  Ens  fov 
fcssence  of  all  being)  is  more  than  to  he,  ^Lm  hath  a  being,  but 
he  is  not  properly  ihe  Ens  or  essence  of  that  being.  For  that  pro- 
perly is  fins,  which  proceeds  from  nothing  else,  and  which  doth  not 
eease  to  be  the  Ens  cf  uli  ether  ;hin^:i."\'4ji:.'<iPKCT,  Cq^.  ccxxx. 


ia  L  O  R  D,  o  R    J  E  H  O  V  A  H. 

Persons  is  self- existent^  and  so  properly  Jehovah  ;  yet  we  d€> 
not  maintain  either  or  all  to  be  separate-existent^  or  to  form- 
^ore  than  One  Jehovah.  In  other  things,  men  can  distin- 
guish where  they  do  not  divide^  and  can  allow  three  insepa- 
rable peculiarities  (as  in  the  case  of  the  sun,  or  in  the  mind, 
will,  and  afFe6\ioii  of  man,  &:c.)  to  constitute  but  one  sub- 
stance or  being  ;  and  all  this  upon  no  better  evidence  than 
human  sensation,  which  (as  we  said  before)  is  often  falli- 
ble. Surely,  then,  hwing  the  infallible  declartaion  of 
God  with  us  ;  we  maybe  bold  to  speak  a  truth,  which  cannot 
contradi6l  our  reason,  because  it  is  not,  and  cannot  be  the 
subjuct  of  it.  We  must  follow  God  in  this  high  matter  impli- 
citly ;  and  surely  we  may  follow  him  with  safety^  where  we 
cannot  conduCl  ourselves.  All  the  obje6ls  of  religion  do  in- 
deed rise  above  the  poor  intellect  of  man  ;  and  he  can  know 
nothing  ot  another  life,  of  immortality,  or  even  of  the  grand- 
purpose  of  his  own  existence,  but  by  divine  revelation.  How 
then  by  searching  can  befnd  out  God ;  or  how  study  the  Al- 
mighty to  perfection^  Here,  as  one  of  the  fathers  says,  mens 
deficit^  vox  siiet  ;  ^'The  mind  fails,  and  the  tongue  is  dumb." 
And  surtly  it  should  \yQ  so  among  short-sighted  beings,  who 
cannot  tel)  >6cw  their  own  spirits  acl  upon  their  bodies,  or  in- 
wliat  mode  the  spring  of  life  is  exerted  and  influenced  within* 
them. 

The  Christian  doih  not  pretend  to  explain  the  modus  ex-- 
istendi^  or  manner  of  existence,  wiiich  the  Holy  Spirit  has  in 
the  divine  nature  ;  because  no  finite  nature,  huniaa  or  ange- 
lic, can  form  a  comparative  idea  of  ichai;  is  lujinite:  And  we 
properly  know  noihing  from  reason  but  by  comparison.  It  is 
quite  sulncient  for  the  believer,  that  GOD  h.\th  said  any 
proposition;  and  he  leases  it  (and  it  is  both  his  wisdom  and 
his  duty  to  leave  ii)  to  God,  either  to  be  rcser^/ed  as  an  in-- 
fcrutable  truth,  or  to  be  opened  to  his  mind  by  a  farther  ex- 
planation. There  are  mysteries,  which  one  day  will  be  mys- 
teries to  him  no  more  ;  and  there  are  mysteries,  which  from 
tlieir  own  exalted  nature,  must  remain  so  for  ever.  As  he 
grows  in  grace,  though  now  imprisoned  in  a  frail  and  cor- 
ruptible body,  which  a6ls  like  a  clog  upon  his  spirit,  he  grows 
in  the  knovv^lcdge  of  many  truths,  which  once  he  did  not  com- 
prehend: And  there  is  just  cause  to  believe,  that,  in  his  ad- 
vances from  glory  to  glory^  he  will  increase  ad  infinitum  in 
the  conceptions  of  heaveidy  things,  and  still  be  finding  a 
glorious  infinitum  before  him.  The  height  and  depth^  the 
length  a-nd  breadth^  {2iS  the  apostle  speaks,  while  himself  is 
absorbed  in  the  vastness  of  the  eubjecl)  of  tlie  wisdom  and 
love  of  God  around  him,  will  still  be  unexplored  ;  and  that  in- 
finite ocean  of  everlasting  entitv  ar.d  truth  muft  remain,  to  all 


LORD,    OR    JEHOVAH.  13 

ranks  and  orders  of  being,  both  unbounded  and  unfatliomable 
for  ever. 

What  then  hath  man  to  do,  but  to  a6l  like  the  angels,  who 
Kvondtr  and  adore  P  And  if  man  knew  what  angels  know,  and 
was  but  iis  unclouded  with  sin  as  they  ;  he  would  find  it  his 
supreme  delight,  to  hold  company  and  communion  witli  them 
in  this  blessed  employment.  ' 

Over  and  above  all  other  arguments,  the  real  believer  in 
yesus  hsith  7i  testimony,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  Jehovah, 
which  lies  out  of  the  view  of  the  world,  because  it  is 
<wilbin  him.  Behold^  says  Christ,  tbe  kingdom  of  God  is  ^^itb- 
in  yoii.  A  throne  is  ere61;ed  in  every  believing  heart,  from 
which  the  Spirit  of  God  diretSls  his  rule,  bringing  every 
thought  into  captivity,  and  into  sweet  subjc6lion  to  Ciirist. 
The  promise  of  the  t  atherj  is  accomplished  in  the  Christian 
v/hen  the  Spirit  is  poured  out  upon  him,  like  oil  to  enliven,  or 
like  water  to  purify,  his  new-born  soul.  He  sees  clearly, 
that  none  but  JfiHOVHH  could  vouchsafe  the  Holy  Spirit ;  and 
he  views  as  plainly,  that  this  Holy  Spirit  must  be  Jehovah^ 
to  perform  the  wonderful  works,  which  are  ascribed  to  him  in 
nature  and  grace,  and  a  portion  of  which  he  feels  to  be 
wrought  in  him  by  his  power.  He  reads  his  Bible,  and  sees, 
that  the  everlasting  covenant  can  only  be  performed  by  those 
divine  persons  who  made  it,  and  that  the  full  completion  of  it, 
beiug  reserved  for  the  Spirit,  could  only  be  eiTe6luated  by 
Him,  as  He  is  Jehovah.  Believing  in  Him,  therefore,  as  Je- 
hovah, he  cannot  but  consider  him  fully  able  to  accomplish  all 
that  is  said  of  him  in  the  Scriptures,  and  all  that  is  necessary 
for  his  people  to  life  eternal.  And  this  was  the  ne^t  part  of 
the  subje6l  to  be  considered. 

Man  is  repesented  by  the  Scriptures,  in  a  state  of  spiritual 
^cath,  through  the  fall.  This  was  the  penalty  of  his  trans- 
gression  In  that  day ^  thou  shalt  surely  die.     Gen.  ii.    17. 

Now  Adam  lived,  as  to  his  body,  many  hundred  years  after  his 
sin;  and  therefore  the  denunciation  must  be  understood,  in 
order  to  justify  divine  truth,  to  imply  that  death  of  the  soul 
that  immediatly  befel  him,  which  consists  in  its  separation 
from  the  life  of  God,  and  removal  from  the  fruition  of  holi- 
ness, happiness,  and  heaven.  All  men  experience  tlie  absence 
of  tins  good  ;  but  all  men  are  not  sensible  of  its  worth  : 
Their  spirits  being  dead  to  God,  and  to  the  things  of  God, 
And  the  people  of  God  themselves  are  by  nature  as  dead  in 
this  rcspccl,  as  other  men.  This  is  fully  expressed  in  the 
xxxviith  chapter  of  Ezekiel^  under  the  vision  of  the  dry 
bones.  These  bones  belonged  to  the  house  of  Israel^  or  the 
people  of  God:  And  these  the  Spirit  of  God  renewed  to 
Vol.  H.  G 

Moeiii*  28.  Aas  ii.  39. 


14.  LORD,  OR  JEHOVAH. 

life.  They  were  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,,  till  the  Spirit  of 
of  life  brought  life  into  their  souls,  and  eriabled  thcui  to  live 
by  the  fiiltb  of  tht  Son  of  God:  This  is  as  full  a  ccniniunica- 
tion  oi  life,  as  the  creating  any  thing  v.'hich  did  not  cxis:  be- 
fore ;  and  therefore  believers  are  said  to  be  born  of  the  Spirit 
(John  iii.)  whofe  life  they  had  not  before  their  new  birth. 
They  are  alfo  called  ne^M  creatures  or  a  ne\'o  creation^  in  the 
very  fame  sense  ;  becaufe  they  had  no  existence  in  heavenly 
things,  till  the  holy  Spirit  afForded  it  by  his  povver.  This  is 
the  obvious  meaning  likewise  of  the  word  regeneration^  and 
of  all  those  terms  which  denote  the  bestowment  of  a  new 
life,  the  translation  from  dariiness,  and  the  admission  to  God. 
Hence  it  is  that  the  redeemed,  being  korn  of  the  Spirit,  are 
said  to  be  born  of  Gody  and  are  called  the  sons^  the  children, 
and  the  beirs  of  God.  They  claim  not  heaven  as  an  uncove- 
r.antcd  ;iiercy,  which  too — too  many  unwarrantably -do  ;  but 
as  a  matter  of  inheiitance, /?r.'?;2/j-^i/  and  therefore  due  from 
the  Father,  purchased  by  the  Son,  2i\vX  awarded  hj  the  power 
of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

New,  ae  nciie  but  God  can  impart  life,  2iX\d  especially  the 
immo'-t'u  life  of  grace  ;  the  Holy  Spirit,  being  "  the  Lord 
and  giver  of  life,"  and  the  great  agent  to  maintain  it  in  the 
hearts  of  Ids  peop]-!-.  must  necessarily  be  God  over  all,  blessed 
for  ever.  The  Spirit  himself  is  life,  and  communicates  life 
tq  whcr.]  /^e  K^iJL    i  Cor.  x'u.  2.  John  iii.  8. 

As  ViiQ  Divine  SpiriL  gives  life,  so  he  supports  it  when 
eiven,  oy  his  Almighty  power  :  and  nonebut  Almighty  power 
could  rapport  the  life  of  grace,  against  the  united  force  of  the 
spirits  of  darkness,  the  tem.ptations  ef  the  World,  and  the 
trc Lichciy  of  an  evil  heart  of  unbelief,  always  inclining  to  de- 
parture from  the  living  God.  The  Spirit  of  God  y\t,\h\y  cast 
out  devils,  to  testify  the  divine  mission  of  Christ  ;  and  he  hath 
spiritually  case  them  out  in  all  ages,  and  will  cast  them  out  to 
tlie  end  of  the  world,  to  reader  that  mission  effedtual  for  the 
salvation  of  his  people. 

He  teaches  the  redeemed,  alfo,  whatever  is  necessary  for 
them  to  know.  Could  any  but  an  omnipresent  agent  thus  in- 
struct ihrougii  every  moment,  and  in  every  age,  all  the  indi- 
vidual menibers  of  Chiist's  scattered  church,  cerrectlng  their 
tliouglus,  iriforming  their  judgments,  sanclifying  their  wills 
and  afiedlions,  and  thereby  preparing  them  for  life  eternal  ? 
And  if  this  agent  be  omnipresent,  doth  it  not  conclusively  fol- 
low, that  he  is  the  infinite  God? 

In  a  v/ord  ;  if  this  Holy  Spirit  create  auew  in  Clirist  Je- 
sus ;  if  he  cause  to  be  quickened  from  death  into  life  ;  if  he 
translate  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the  power  of  Satan 
urilo  God;  if  he  be  always  present  to  help  his  people's  infir- 
mities, to  mortify  their  sins,  to  fanclify  their  persons,  to  re- 


LOPvD,  OR    JEHOVAH.  15 

new  their  minds,  to  teach  their  understandings,  to  give  them 
access  to  the  Father,  to  be  in  them  all  :ind  to  d"/eiiiR  all  lor 
ever;  is  it  possible  for  common  sense  itself  to  fuppose,  that 
He  can  be  less  than  true  and  very  God,  the  alUwise,  the  all- 
gracious,  and  omnipotent  Jehovah?  It  seerns  less  absurd  to 
ailirm,  that  a  gnat  or  a  fly  can  create  a  wo.  id,  a. id  preserve 
the  series  of  being  upon  it,  in  its  perfect,  v:.t  c^.n  plicated  ar- 
rangement;  than  to  assert,  that-any  existence  could  accom- 
plish all  the  wonderful  wurks  ahovt-urcntioned,  but  the  au- 
thor and  preserver  or  ail  existence  IiimscH  .''  Yet,  paradoxical 
as  the  expression  seems,  this  sort  of  credulity  dojs  that  per- 
son entertain,  who,  aclsnitiirg  the  ]:ibie  to  be  a  divine  revela- 
tion, has  infidelity  enough  to  deny  trie  proper  diviriity  of  the 
Holy  Ghost. 

To  thee,  O  Biliever  in  yrj-^;/,  thj}-  aulcle  of  the  SjHrit''s 
deity  is  a  maxim  of  itidisputable  moi^i-jnt — an  axior.i  of  in- 
dubitable tiuLii.  Th'ju  wilt  '^ot  deay  l)'<s  v.^iird,  whicli  as- 
serts it:  Thou  canst  not  resist  his  ^ajiti^css  In  thyself .  which 
confirms  it  to  a  aemonstratior,  Oitiers  may  deny,  v.iiat  tr.^y 
do  not  experience  or  feel  ;  bat  thoa  knov/est  Hisi  tbciT  is 
true^  because  thou  art  in  Hun  ;  iindhe  with  all  his  evidences 
of  com  tor  t,  love,  and  joy.  d<-^>i!Uih  in  thee,  »le  nrst  b?'«*ught 
thee  into  spiritual  lile  froru  tlic  dx^aih  ct' sin  :  He  reconciled 
thee  to  God,  Vv'hen  th;>u  wast  ?a\  tiicniy  by  v.'icked  works  : 
He  giveth  tiiee  a  thousand  tokens  of  his  presence  and  sup- 
port :  He  ieadeth  thy  thoughcs  and  thy  heart  direcl  to  God 
and  heavcu  ;  prefervcs  thee  (^always  ready  in  thyself  to  stray) 
from  numberless  snares  in  thy  daily  walk,  and  at  length  Vv'ill 
give  thee  an  abundant  entrance  into  his  everlasting  kingdom. 
Thou  constantly  feelest  thyself  to  be  a  poor,  dependent 
creature;  able  to  think  nothing,  to  vv^ill  nothing,  and  to  do 
nothing  good  of  thy  own  power  :  And  it  is  thy  privilege  and 
thy  joy  to  find  this  gracious  Spirit,  working  in  thee  both  to 
will  and  do  of  his  good  pleasure.  Thou  art  never  happy  but 
in  tliis  perception.  Thou  art  never  holy  but  in  this  enjoy- 
ment. Thou  art  never  safe  but  in  this  prote61ion.  What 
cares  the  devil  or  .dl  the  resolutions  and  strength  of  man, 
even  if  man  couid  exeit  them,  without  grace  divine?  He 
broke  down  the  patience  of  the  most  patient  Job^  and  made 
him  curse  the  day  in  which  lie  was  born,  when  God  permit- 
ted him  to  exercise  his  power  for  a  trial.  And  he  would 
bring  to  nothing  the  highest  attainments  of  thy  soul,  did  the  . 
Spirit  of  truth  depart  from  thee  for  a  moment.  If  any  man 
bade  fair  to  stand  alone,  surely  it  must  liave  been  the  man  ^f- 
terGod^s  avn  heart ;  but  he  fell,  as  every  body  knows,  and 
fell  foully  and  horribly  too.  If  any  man  could  hope  to  reco- 
ver himself  from  a  fall ;  who  might  expecl  to  do  it  sooner 
than  he,  who  hud  vanquished  repeated  foes,  and  trampled  u}> 


i6  LORD,   OR    J  E  HO  V  A  H. 

on  the  boasted  strength  of  a  giant?  Yet  this  man,  a  prince 
and  a  prophet  too,  wise  and  powerftd,  lay  for  a  long  time  in 
h'ls  transgression,  and  at  lafl  cried  out,  like  an  helpless  infant, 
*for  the  restoration  and  support  of  God\  free  Spirit.  Ps.  li. 
12,.  He  found  the  powers  of  darkness  and  sin  too  mighty  for 
his  feeble  efforts  to  resist,  and  too  subtle  for  his  dull  under- 
standing to  oppose.  The  wisdom  of  God's  Spirit  alone  could 
repel  the  sophistry  of  hell ;  and  the  energy  of  the  Almighty 
bring  him  biick  from  the  captivity  of  Satan. 

Art  thou  not  sensible  of  tliis  gracious  operation,  dear 
Christian,  from  time  to  time  within  thy  soul  r  Dost  thou  ne- 
ver feel  a  power,  which  is  not  thine  own  ?  Never  taste  a  joy, 
which  ai.imal  sense  cannot  induce?  Never  rise  to  views, 
which  nature  cannot  Ihsw  thee?  Never  have  a  communion 
with  heaven  and  the  unutterable  glories  of  the  world  above, 
which  earth  could  not  inspire? Examine  thy  secret  cham- 
ber, and  the  secret  of  thy  heart ;  and  say,  "  have  I  not 
t:isted  that  the  Lord  is  gracious  indeed?  Did  I  not  feci  his 
divine  power  at  such  and  such  times,  far  superior  to  any 
thing  of  my  own  ?  Was  not  my  heart  drawn  out,  in  the  sweet- 
est communion  of  love,  with  God  my  portion,  my  Father, 
.and  my  Friend?" — The  records  of  heaven  preserve  the  fa6ls  : 
They  are  gone  up,  like  Cor7jeliur''s  deeds  of  grace,  for  a  me- 
morial  brjore  God,  If  a  drop  of  water,  given  to  another  for 
thy  Master's  sake,  shall  not  be  lost  or  poured  out  upon  the 
ground;  surely,  the  living  streams  of  his  love,  which  have 
flowed  into  thy  soul,  shall  one  day  be  recounted  with  joy,  and 
ail  rise  up  again  in  the  circuits  of  heaven. 

Remember,  believer,  for  thy  comfort  likewise,  that  thy 
gracious  guide  and  supporter  is  the  self-existent  Jehovah, 
who  failcth  not,  neither  is  weary,  whose  gifts  and  callings 
r.re  \yithout  repentance,  and  whose  love  is  everlasting  as  his 
nature.  Xhis  Holy  Spirjt  did  not  bring  the£  into  the  'voay  of 
salvation  for  any  other  purpose,  but  to  lead  thee  to  tlic  end 
of  it :  And  every  testimony  of  his  grace  in  thy  soul  is  as 
sure  an  earnest  for  glory,  as  though  thou  wert  already  in  it. 
IVe  kno^  tbxit  nue  have  passed  frow.  death  unto  life  (says  the 
apostle)  ;  because  we  have  his  Spirit  dv/clling  in  us,  working 
ail  the  motions  of  praver,  love,  hope,  joy,  righteousness  and 
praise,  which  are  his  genuine  fruits  and  the  evidences  of  his 
presence.  So  surely,  therefore,  as  thou  bast  the  pledge, 
thou  wilt,  in  due  time,  possess  the  everlasting  inheritance. 
The  world  cannot  prevent  thee,  the  devil  cannot  destroy 
thee,  thy  pwn  sinful  flesh  shall  not  prevail  against  thee  ; 
for  the  arm,  counsel,  and  love,  which  are  engaged  in  thy  be- 
half, belong  altogether  to  the   Spirit  Jziiovah. 

''  But  may  not  libertine  professors  abuse  this  truth  ?"  In- 
deed they  may  :  And  so  do  libertines  abuse  all  other  truths 


LORD,    OR    JEHOVAH.  17 

and  blessings.  It  is  thoujht  bad  logic  in  the  schools  to  rea- 
son from  the  perversion  of  a  thing  against  its  worth :  And 
it  is  more  dangerously  erroneou*  in  the  school  of  Christ. 
There  is  not  a  singi^i  dottriiu-  of  grace,  but  which  the  foily 
of  man,  a6led  upon  by  the  SLiJllety  of  the  devil,  may  wrest, 
and  'ii)rest  to  destruction  ;  but  grace  is  gracio»s  still,  and  will 
lead  the  children  of  God  to  his  glory.  Dog's  will  eat  the 
children's  Drend  ;  but  it  is  not  the  less  bread,  and  good  bread 
too,  though  dogs  devotir  it.  Thjs  grunr.itus  pgrccrum  (as 
Lutbcr  terni.-d  it,)  tiiis  "  gruntlnp-  of  hogs"  is  very  different 
from  the  gentlv^  bleadng  of  Cinist's  sheep.  We  have,  there- 
fore, one  short  answer  to  give  to  all  questions  of  this  kind  ; 
that  those  persons,  who,  undef  pretence  of  gospel-libertv,  run 
into  any  licentiousness  of  heart  and  life,  and  plead  the  privi- 
leges of  grace  for  purposes  v.?hich  are  not  gracious,  are  nei- 
ther more  nor  less  than  the  servants  of  corruption^  tlie  bojid- 
slaves  of  the  dcvil^  and  aliens  frcm  the  coVfimon'wcaltb  of  Israel. 
To  which  it  may  be  added,  that  if  they  live  and  die  in  this 
horrible   state    of  mind  ;  it  will  he  more    tolerable  for  Sodom 

and  Gomorrah   in  the   day  of  judgment    than  for    them. 

The  gospel  of  the  blessed  Redeemer,  and  the  grace  of  the  Ho- 
ly Spirit,  are  so  far  from  indulging  sin,  that  they  indispensa- 
bly inculcate  upon  believers  to  deny  ungodliness  (ind  vsorldly 
lusts^  and  to  live  soberly^  righteously^  and  godly ^  in  this  pre- 
sent evil  nvorld.  All  God's  ways  are  holy  ;  and  fo  must  they 
be  who  call  themselves  his  children,  or  they  are  not  his 
children. 

If  the  Christian  were  asked,  which  were  his  happiest  mo- 
ments ;  he  would  answ^er,  those  which  were  spent  in  the 
closest  walk  with  Christ,  and  in  the  nearest  communion  with 
God.  The  enjoyment  of  the  life  of  grace  is  founded  in  the 
death  and  destruction  of  all  sin  :  And  the  believer  is  only  un- 
happy, when  corruptions  within,  aided  by  corruptions  with- 
out, draw  him  off  from  an  entire  dependence  upon  his  Lord. 
He  wouldbeperfedl,  if  he  could;  because,  in  perfe^l  holiness, 
he  Would  obtain  perfect  happiness,  a  complete  possession  of 
all  good  ;  and  he  longs  for  heaven  itself,  both  for  the  full  en- 
joyment of  God's  presence,  and  for  the  absolute  perfection  of 
holiness,  which  lie  cannot  attain  till  he  arrives  :n  it.  On  the 
other  hand,  every  true  believer  can  witness,  tliat  departing 
from  God,  is  departing  from  peace.  A  serious  Christian  once 
asked  a  great  backslider,  whether  he  really  had  found  more 
satisfa6lion  in  the  indulgence  of  his  lusts,  and  the  full  swing 
of  carnal  pleasure,  than  he  before  had  done  in  the  profession 
of  the  gospel  and  in  the  hours  he  had  formerly  spent  for  God. 
He  honestly  answered  ;  he  had  not ;  and  that,  so  far  from  be- 
ing happy,  he  was  not  even  untormented,  but,  when  in  a  state 
of  the  most  intoxicated  dissipation.  It  pleased  God  to  restore 


,8  ALE  HIM,    OR    GOD. 

liim  again  ;  but  sot  without  such  bitierness  of  soul,  as  all  the 
mad  and  foolish  pit- usurss  he  hdd  pursued,  were  but  a  poor 
compensation  to  him.  They,  who  leave  tbt  fountain  of  living 
%vatcrs^  bc"w  out  iimo  themselves  broken  cisterns^  that  cu.i  held 
no  water^  or  water  only  tnat  can  djsstroy  them. 

Turn,  then,  beiovetl  Chnsiian,  to  thiiie  only  rest.  Turn 
to  Jehovah  ihe  Failier,  Vv^ho  hath  loved  thee  for  ever;  Turn 
to  Jehovah  the  Redeemer,  who  hath  saved  thy  life  from  de- 
struflion  :  Turn  to  jehrvah  the  Spirit,  \viio  crowneth  thee 
with  loring  l:ir)d;iess  and  tender  mercies.  Soon  shalt  thou 
b/::old  hiin  tace  to  face,  aad  turn  from  him  to  the  world,  or  to 
sin,  or  to  seii;,  no  more.  Soon  shalt  thou  enjoy  whatever  can  be 
possv^ssed  Oi  this  great  One  Jehovah,  and  be  wrapt  up  in  the 
f'ulhiess  of  his  joy  thro'  a  blessed  eteiuity.  O  for  trnnsj^r  rting 
views  of  this  mefrable  glory!  O  hov/  poor, how  vain,ho\v- per- 
ishing, do  the  world  and  all  other  tiungs  appear,  held  up  be- 
fore this  unutterable  brightness  of  the  Majesty  on  high!  What 
is  life,  v^iiat  is  deaili,  vv^hat  are  crowns  and  kingdoms  below, 
what  is  all  that  can  be  named,  in  comparison  with  the  un- 
searchable liches  of  Chiist,  the  communion  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  ai^d  the  unalienable  possession  of  both  in  heaven  !— 
We  should  scarce  endure  to  live  in  this  vv^retched  world,  if 
v/e  had  much  foretr;ste  of  this  bliss,  or  if  God,  till  his  purpo- 
ses are  fulnlled  in  us  belov/,  did  not  permit  the  veil  of  flesh 
to  hide  the  fullness  of  his  love  and  brightness  from  our  minds. 


ALEHIM»    OR     GOD. 

IN  the  former  Volume,  the  import  of  this  significant  title 
was  considered  ;  and  it  v\'as  shewn,  that  this  name,  ap- 
plied to  the  Godliead,  was  manifestly  meant  to  convey  an 
idea  of  Vv'hat  we  call   the  Fersons^^  tlie   Greeks  Hypostases^ 

*  We  follow  the  Latins  in  using  the  word  Person  f(M'  Hypostases^ 
and  the  word  Essence  for  Outim,  JJein^  or  Existence,  Sc7iecd  gays,  in 
his  58th  Epistle,  that  this  translation  of  Cvcrix  was  first  adopted  by 
Cicera^  and  that  he  understood  by  it  the  univei'sal  nature  and  cause 
of  all  things.  In  this  eplsUe  lie  complaios  heavily  of  the  Latin 
tongue  for  its  incapacity  to  translate  the  ':ense  of  Greek  terms  with.- 
out  a  periphrasis.  Tlic  Latin  Fatheis  slui.i  to  have  followed  Cice- 
ro for  the  same  reason — the  want  of  better  terms.  Indeed  we  are 
told  by  Gregory  Natlanzen^  that  because  the  Latins  corad  not  other- 
wise livike  a  proper  distinction  between  the  essence  and  the  hyposta- 
ses^ through  the  poverty  of  their  language,  they  I'sed  the  word  per- 
son  for  the  latter,  iest  it  should  be  thought,  Uiat  they  held  three  es- 
sences.    He  v/ell  observes,  tl)at  «  the  purity  of  cur  faith  doth  not 


ALE  HIM,    OR    GOD.  19 

$nd.  ihe  antient  Jews  Sephiroth^  in  th-  divine  essence.  These 
denominations  are  given,  not  because  they  can  expreF-s  cJie 
made  of  existence  in  God,  for  th-.it  is  botli  inexpressible  and 
inconceivable  j  but  because    they  declare,   according  to  the 

staml  upon  7i5.^zc'i-,  but  upon  things."  \Vc  use  the  r.ames^  not  for 
their  accuracy  of  expression  (for  no  vords  of  man  CcUi  e^.press 
God,  oi'  thoughts  of  man  search  him  out.)  but  to  prevent  confusion, 
or  conceahnent  of  the  truth.  Sec  Inirod.  to  Vol.  i.  p.  8.  Note,  Aug. 
dc  Trin,  1.  v.  Greg.  Naz.  Orat.'i.  de  Face^  apud.  Gasp.  Laurent. 
Cath,  Con?.  Vet,  p.  44.  Muret.  Not,  in  Sen.  epist. 

In  addition  to  the  sub-stance  of  this  note,  it  may  be  here  observed, 
that  some  have  objected  to  the  use  of  any  of  these  terms,  because 
they  are  not  found  in  the  Scriptures.  If  this  proceeded  from  a  real 
regard  to  v/hatthe  Scriptures  revealed,  it  would  deserve  tl  e  more 
attention  ;  but  when  the  objection  is  raised  merely  for  cuvillatiGi:, 
as  Avithout  breach  of  charity  it  may  be  affirmed  hath  often  been  the 
case,  it  is  sufficient  to  say,  that  if  men  will  abide  only  by  terms  of 
Scripture,  it  will  be  absolutely  necessary  for  them  to  use  the  Scrip- 
ture only  in  the  two  languages  of  HebrcAV  and  Greek  in  which  they 
are  written.  For,  if  there  be  any  force  in  such  an  argument,  it  lies 
against  every  translathn  in  the  world^because  thei^e  filter  the  terms, 
and  sometimes  impose  a  sense  upon  them,  which  net  only  is  con- 
trary to  the  sense  which  other  micnmay  affix,  but  in  seine  instances 
wide  enough  from  the  ori?^-inal.  In  such  a  ci  se,  there  would  be  no 
allowable  divinity,  but  what  might  appear  in  Greek  and  Hebrew, 
to  the  great  cdincation,  (no  doubt^  of  the  common  people.,  who  hap- 
pen to  have  souls  as  well  as  rabbles  and  philosophers,  and  who 
in  general  are  at  least  as  desirous  of  their  salvo.ticn.  The 
truth  is  ;  the  terms^  used  in  this  and  ether  cases,  would  not 
olfend  ;  if  the  things^  which  the  terms  signify,  were  not  disa- 
greeable to  the  pride  and  conceit  of  nir.:i.  We  know,  as  well  as 
these'  objeaors^  that  the  words  Tri'>:.ty,  I-icarnaticn,  Psrcc.n^ 
Essence^  and  such  liice,  are  not  to  be  found  in  the  Bible  ;  but  we  also 
!;now,  that  the  truths,  which  tiiese  words  relate  to,  are  net  only  to 
be /o2/m/ there,  but  are  the  very  sum  and  substance  of  it.  If  these 
teruis  convey  the  netion  of  these  truths,  they  answer  the  use  of  a-I 
terms,  which  is  to  communicate  the  knov/ledge  of  things.  And  as 
to  the  termG  themselves,  they  were  first  employed  in  opposition  to 
various  heretics  by  the  fi:thers  of  the  churcli,  fcr  a  clearer  or  more 
full  expression  of  their  do(5lr"nes.  and  hRve  been  very  properly  re- 
tained to  this  day.  Moshcim  m  his  Ecclesiastical  li istory,  and 
some  others,!  aftecl  to  censure  Thzophilvs  Antiodieniis  for  his  Rrs^ 
using  the  word  Tfixs  or  Trinitv,  He  began  at  the  wrong  end;  for 
he  should  first  have  proved,  that  the  doctrikie  itself  had  no  foun- 
dation. 

Others  have  attempted  to  confound  the  terms  Person  and  Essenc^y 
yrhcn  they  could  not  justly  throw  them  aside,  and  have  endeavoured 
to  make  the  Christian  assert,  that  there  are  three  essences,  and  con- 

t  See  Dr.  King's  Ritss  and  ceremonies  of  the  Greek  cJ.urch  in  Rus-^ 
sia.  p.  7.* 


20  ALEHIM,   OR    GOD. 

sense  of  the  Scripture,  that  there  are  more  subsistences  than 
one  in  Jehovab^  which  notwithstanding  are  but  ONE  Jeho- 
^ab.  We  are  bold  to  say,  that  tiiere  is,  and  can  be  no  con- 
tradi6li6n  in  this  assertion  ;  because  it  is  a  proposition,  de- 
livered to  us  by  God  himself  j   and  that,  if  this  do(Slrine  be 

sequently  three  Gods  ;  or,  that  the  names  of  the  persons  were  but 
mere  names,  and  consequently  that  there  is  but  one  person  in  the 
Godhead.  These  are  answered  by  saying,  that  person  and  essence 
are  neither  synonimous  nor  convertible.  For  though  each  person 
be  OF  the  essence ;  yet  the  three  persons  together  do  constitute  the 
essence  :  And  thoui^h  the  whole  essence  is  inseparably  conne6\ed 
with  each  of  the  persons,  both  in  wiUing-  and  working-  ad  extra  ;  yet 
it  cannot  be  said  with  any  propriety,  that  the  Fathrr  is  the  'vohole  Es- 
sence, of  the  3oD,  or  the  Holy  Ghost,  notwithstanding  they  are 
distniilly  and  by  themselves  essenliall);  divine.  Thus  it  will  appear, 
that  th6ugh  Essence  and  Person  dijer  as  to  the  full  extent  of  the  terms, 
yet  they  perieclly  agrce^  vdien  they  apply  to  the  reality  of  the 
Deity.}  Each  person  by  himself  is  God,  but  not  the  Godhead  ;  and 
the  Godhead  is  in  each  person,  but  is  not  each  person.  From  this 
relative  distinil:ion  it  foilov/s,  that  the  Soii  and  Spirit^  being  persons 
in  Jehovah  and  inseyj:ira.ble  from  the  essence,  are  both  personally 
and  essentially  Jehovidi,  and  consequently,  either  in  union  cr  distinc- 
tion, are  the  cbjcSl  of  worship.  In  fa6i,  us  true  belie\'ers,  we  do  not 
and  cannot  worship  any  one  of  the  Divine  Persons  separate  or  alcney 
however  we  may  mention  each  by  themselves  ;  for  if  v/e  invocate- 
the  Sj7i^  we  invocate  the  Divine  Essence^  v/hich  is  inseparable  from 
the  Soiij  and  consequently  inyocate  the  Father  and  the  Koly  Ghost, 
The  same  may  be  observed,  if  v/e  address  the  other  persons.  By 
this  we  may  undersand  what  our  Lord  im.plies,  when  he  says,  i/i? 
that  hath  seen  me  '^meaning  spiritually]  hath  seen  the  Father  :  land 
ray  Father  are  one,  &:c.  so  the  apostle,  He  that  hath  the  Sony  hath  the 

Father  also, If  this  docirine  of  three  persons  in  one  essence;  or 

of  the  one  essence  existinc<-,  indivisibly  though  distinRly,  in  the 
three  persons;  were  rightly  stated;  there  would  seem  but  little 
room  for  the  disputes,  respe6\ing  the  proper  olTJect  of  worship,  and 
the  inferiority  or  subordination  of  the  divine  persons.  This  suppos- 
ed inferiority,  applied  to  Godhead,  is  an  absurdity  in  termino.  It 
originated  horn  the  doctrines  o{  \\\q.  general  ion  a.nd  procession,  which 
relating  entirely  to  the  modus  existcndiy  the  Scripture  has  not  endea- 
voured to  explain,  because  man  could  not  possibly  conceive  that 
mode,  nor  is  it  necessary  fur  him  ;  ?5nd  therefore  all  disputation 
upon  these  points  is  impertinent,  and  proceeds  from  the  affedlation 
of  being  ivise  above  nvhat  is  ivrittcn-, 

\  We  would  use  the  vvord  person  in  the  sense  of  the  Av.gsburgh 
confession,  which  says.  Nomine  Tcrsonx  utiintur  ca  signijicationc, 
qua  t!si  sunt  in  hcic  causa  Scriptores  ccclesiaitici,  ut  signi/icct  non  par- 
tem ^wf  qualitatcm  in  alio,  sed  quod prcprie  siibsistit,  Syntag.  Conf. 
Fid.  P.  ii.  p.  8.  However,  it  would  not  be  v/orth  while  to  quarrel  a- 
bout  the  fir???,  while  the  senss  is  truly  and  safely  understood. 


ALEHIM,     OR     GOD.  ai 

tiot  true,   the   rest  of  the  Bible  will  be  equally  false,  which 
has  no  other  san6lion  to  command  our  submission,  than  that 
of  its  bein^  a  divine  revelation.     Wc  do  not  presume  to  rea- 
son upon  God's  Fassence  ;  because  it  is  impossible  that  such 
an  essence  siiouid  be  the  subjed  of  our  reason  ;   and   especi- 
ally too   since  we   know,  that  our  reason  cannot  determine 
upon  the  mode  of  its  own  existence,  nor  specify  the  constitu- 
tion of  any  one  property,  whether  tangible  or  intelligible,  a- 
bout  us.     R^eason  would  be  unreasonable,  if  it  pretended  to 
define  what   it    cannot  reach  ;    or  rather  becomes  ignorance 
and  folly,  in  attempting  assumptions  without  data^  and  argu- 
ing,  from  what  is  unlcnown,  to  any  positive  or  determinate 
propositions.     It   is   impossible  that  God,  as  to  the  mode  of 
his  existence,  should  be  comprehended  by  the  idea  of  any  of 
his   creatures,  and   certainly  not  by  so  low  and   imperfed;!  a 
creature  as  man  ;  because,  in  that  case,  he  must  first  cease 
to  be  infinite  and  eternal ;  which  attributes  are  themselves 
not  to  be  conceived  by  the  utmost  extent  of  human  thought 
and   imagination.     We    can  say,  what  God  is    not  from  our 
reason,  rather  than  what  he  is.*"     In  order  to  comprehend 
God,  creatures  must  be  no  longer  creatures  ;  Or  (with   rev- 
erence be  it  spoken)  God  would  be  no  more  that  height  and 
depth,   that  length  and  breadth,  which  are  eternally  explor- 
ing, but  never  explored.     To  know  God  in  this  view,  would 
be  to  possess  ideas  commensurate  with  his  own;  which  is  a 
presumption,  perhaps,   attempted  by  no  man  in  profession, 
however  in  practice  it  is  absurdly  and  ignorantly  attempted 
every  day.    Of  all  philosophers,  they  are  the  most  inconsist-r 
ent  with  themselves,  who,  asserting  that  "  nothing  is  in  the 
intelle6l  but  what  was  before  in  the  sense,"  preposterously 
fix  any  notion  of  a  Being,  whom  no  sense  can  possibly  per- 
ceive, and  whom  no  inteile'il  but  his  own  can  ever  explain. 
Nay,  did  God  condescend  to  explain  the  extent  of  his  nature, 
with  all  .its  wonders  ;  the  faculties  of  his  creatures  must  be 
enual  to  his  own  attributes,  before  they  could  fully  conceive 
that  extent  and  those  f/onders  ;   and  this  equality  is  impos- 
sible, on  the  first  viev/.     Reason  thus  can  help  us  to  discern 
our  own   ignorance  ;  but   cannot   lift  us  up  to  attainments, 
which  creatures,  as  creatures,  can  never  possess.  Our  ideas, 
aided  with  our  senses,  can  conceive  someth'-ng  of  the  weight 
of  a  mcuniain,  by  the  weight  of  a  poiind  ;   but  sense-  and  ide3i 

*  Thus  it  may  be  safely  asserted;  thi.t  (rod  is  not  a  lliir  ;  and 
that  he  is  without  sin,  and  cannot  sin  ;  by  which,  (as  Augustine  .-lath 
observed)  there  is  no  derogation  of  his  omnipotence,  because  sin 
and  error  proceed  from  infirmity;  and  therefore  if  God  could  sin, 
he  wouLl  cease  to  be  omnipotent. 

Vol.  II.  B 


2.Z  ALE  HIM,    OR     GOD. 

fail  together  in  forming  an  adequate  notion  of  the  weight  of 
the  universe  of  thir-gs,  because  its  extent  is  beyond  their 
perception.  Yet  this  universe  is  inateriai  and  tangible  ;  and 
its  quantity  is  subjc6l  to  oar  senses  as  far  us  tb.ey  can  go. 
But  we  presently  sink  beneath  the  v/eight  of  this  extent  of 
substance,  and  feel  ourselves  with  regard  to  matter  about  us, 
but  almost  imperceptible  atoms,  lost  in  astonishijient  among 
innumerable  woilcls. 

Matter,  however,  neither  is  nor  can  be  infinite,  or  eternal, 
or  omnipcterit  ;  f  nd  is  far  beneath  those  intLdligible  forms, 
of  whicli  we  can  faintly  conceive  the  existence,  such  as  an- 
gels an~d  superior  spirits,  and  of  whose  vastness  or  multitude 
we  h.ave  some  notion,  though  certainly  not  a  notion  commen- 
surate Vv'ith  what  they  are.  If  this  be  true, 'and  we  have  ai- 
mc5l  a  sensible  demonstration  that  it  is  true,  how  must  we 
sink  below  tiie  Ens  Eniium^  the  Br, ing  Vv'hich  includes  all 
this  being  within  himself,  to  whom  the   Universe  is  but  as  a 


span,  and  the  nations  of  tiic  earth  as  emptiness  and  nothing? 
if  t]:e  mere  v/orks  transcend  our  investigation  beyond  every 
comparison  or  idea;  how  must  the  natiac  of  the  great  Ar- 
CfflTKCT  himself  ascend  above  our  thoughts,  and  cause  us  to 
shrink  v.ithin  ourselves  as  littleness  and  vanity  ?  *^  What  is 
"  man  (says  the  admirable  M.  Pascal)  considered  in  nature? 

"  A  nothing  in  regard  to  infinity,  and  tx^xy  thing  in  re- 

''  C;?.»d  to  nothing  ;  a  medium   between    notldng  and,  every 


'''   {;:s  being 

'•  he  was  taken^  than  from  the  infinity,  in  v/hich  he  is  lost. 
'^  His  understanding  holds  the  same  rank  in  the  order  of  in- 
*'  tclligible  beings,  as  his  body  in  the  extent  of  nature;  and 
*^  rdl  tiiat  it  can  do,  is  to  perceive  some  appearances  in  the 
'•  middle  of  things,  in  an  eternal  despair  of  knowing  either 
'•  th^  beginning  or  the-'  end,     X^ao  can  follow  these  amazing 

'•  nrocrressions  .'' The  Author  of  these  wonders  compre- 

"   bends  theui  ;  which  or.h  hf.  can  do."^"-^ 

From  hence  it  plainly  appears,  that  the  powers  of  reason 
can  havQ.i.Q  e^iercise  in  a  point  or  this  sublime  and  superior 
kind  ;  but,  like  the  powers  cS  sense  amidst  the  universality 
of  matter,  must  stand  stiii  and  own,  that  God's  infinitude  is 
absolutely  beyond  them. 

''  Has  reason  tlien  no  employment  in  this  research,  no  of- 
fice in  religion  ?  Are  we  to  give  up  all  understanding  and 
knov/ledge  concei  ning  tlie  Deity,  and  no  longer  see  with  our 
eyes,  or  hear  with  our  ears,  or  rePied^l:  with  our  minds  r"  We 
hcTve  foun.d,  tliat  it  is  as  reasonabhi  for  reason  to  confess  her 
own  weakr^ess  here,  even   were  it  perfe^^c  reason,  which  our 

'    "R.-.LT.i:,"5  B-iha  Lett  res.     Vol.  iv.  E.  5. 


A  L  E  H  I  M,    OR     GO  D.  23 

rcaSon  is  not;  as  it  would  be  for  a  ir.r.n  to  o\vr.  h\z  wnnt  oi 
strength  to  remove  a  mountain  or  avvoi'.d.  This,  tlien,  is 
the  lirst  exercise  of  true  reason,  to  iino'.v  ihnt  tlu-re  f.rc 
b?:i7idaries  to  her  powers,  and  to  find  I'^bcrc  tbosl-  boundaries 
aro.  We  call  it  'wisdom  to  discover  this  in  all  other  things  ; 
ajid  Vv?hy  it  should  not  be  so  ];ere  in  the  great  cause  or  those 
things/it  seen:3  very  drmcult  to  explain.  God's  intelie^:!:  a- 
lone,  trom  the  necessity  of  liis  nature,  i;^  v.'ihour.clcd :  He  is 
all  C'jntrj  as  to  l>iir,s;,l:,  and  all  rircumrerence  to  every  o'tiier 
being.  Our  knowledge;  is  a  very  minute  circle  withm  hini- 
selF,  which  lie  has  been  pleased  to  describe  a-our.d  us;  and 
ir  we  attempt  to  look  beyond  it,  Vv'e  only  see  a  saipendous 
in.mensit}-,  which  s wail ows  up  all  our  concept!  ins,  aiid  leaves 
imagination  itselr  to  v/aiid^  r  in  a  pathless  pro'V^ui  d,  till  it  re- 
curs to  the  earth  again,  in  ib.is  coniiiic  nent  of  our  parts; 
is  it  not  reasonable  ar.d  right  to  undcvstafid,  iltat  we  are 
thus  coi:rintd,  and  that  if  wc  pass  be-  v>nd  oiu'  liuv-,  we  shall 
lose  our  powers  like  a  machine  witb.out  a  rest,  and  in  that 
case  become  truly  irrational  ?  If  o:ie  wise  heatiien  could  just- 
ly say,  that  the  maxim  K:iow  ti-iyszlf  descendedy'ro'?;?  bca- 
vsn  ;  he,  who  was  called  the  wisest  of  the  heathens,  did  not 
say  amiss.,  when  he  confessed,  that  he  kne'cv  nothing  but  bis 
QKun  ignorance.  Right  reason  publishes  this,  because  it  is  a 
truth  ;  and  right  reason  can  only  be  employed  upon  truth  :  in 
any  oth.i'  eno-a'ijement,  it  would  de2:enevate  into  nonsense 
and  folly.  And,  if  it  be  a  truth,  that  reason  by  searching  can- 
not find  out  God ;  is  it  not  perfeclly  reasonable  for  reason  to 
confess  that  inability?  Surely,  it  is.  What,  then,  is  its  next 
procedure?  Is  it  ri^-ht  to  sit  stilL  and  2:0  no  farther;  or  be- 
cause  we  cannot  fiy   like  angels,   are  we  not  to  walk  as  r.:en  : 

If  we  had  no  other  beginning  or  end  but  Sclp,  and  no  o- 

ther  assistance  but  what  Self  can  procure  ;  perhaps  it  might 
be  right  to  stop  here. 

But  it  doth  not  follow,  that  becaiise  Vv^e  cannot  know  the 
v.'holc  of  God  by  oursehcs^  we  are  therefore,  unable  to  know 
a.'.y  thing  of  him  by  all  other  communication.  Nor,  though 
none  of  God's  creatures  can  possibly  discover  any  notion  of 
the  mannsr  of  his  existence  by  their  own  intclle61,  is  it  by 
^ny  means  rational  to  say,  that'they  c^n.notbe  sure,  that  such 
and  such  a  manner  doth  exist ^  when  it  is  discovered  to  .them 
by  HIM,  wdio  alone  is  able  to  inform  them.  Nor  yet  is  it  ab- 
surd to  say,  that  lie  still  exists  bey 07id  their  comprehensioR-, 
though  som^  idea  of  his  existence  is  brought  wiibin'M\  any 
more  than  it  would  be  to  aiiirm,  that  an  unfjithomable  ocean 
still  remains,  though  a  man  or  a  thousand  men  had  received 
a  part  of  it  within  tiiem.  God  alone  can  make  out  his  dls< 
coveries  proportionally  to  our  faculties  ;  and,  iiithis  case,  he 
adapts  the   facuhy  to  the    discovery,  not  merely  to  indulge 


24  ALEHIM,     OR     GOD. 

the  imagination,  but  to  communicate  tht;  grace  of  faith.  And 
therefore,  though  we  cannot  comprehend  God  as  to  his  in- 
communicable nature,  we  may  apprchcnd\{\m  in  what  He  him- 
self IS  pleased  to  communicate.  A  wbck  may  be  incommuni- 
cable, while  2i  poriion  may  be  easily  taken  :  And  God,  as  to 
the  injinitiide  of  his  being,  and  consequently  as  to  the  precise 
mode  of  the  existence  of  that  infinitude,  cannot  properly  and 
stri6tiy  be  conceived ;  but  still  his  people  are  said  to  be,  and 
are, />^r^tfii:'rj"  of  his  divine  nature.  Our  eye  cannot  absorb 
all  the  rays  of  the  sun  ;  and  yet  it  may  receive  such  an  illu- 
mination from  those  rays,  as  may  suffice  to  satisfy  us  in  the 
reality  of  its  existence,  as  well  as  in  the  kind  oi'il.  For  this 
end,  however,  the  sun  must  first  have  shone  ;  or  we  should 
have  remained  perfe6lly  ignorant  of  the  matter.  And  we 
must  have  had  senses  fitted  for  its  impressions  ;  or  we  could 
not  have  known  the  nature  of  those  impressions  more  than  a 
plant  or  a  stone.  Nor  should  we  have  been  less  ignorant  of 
the  divine  being ;  if  He  in  mercy,  had  not  revealed  himself 
to  us,  and  prepared  us  for  that  revelation.  His  revelation  a- 
lone  in  this  respe6l  removes  our  mystic  darkness  ;  which  is 
sufficiently  proved  in  the  example  of  the  most  acute  and 
learned  of  all  the  heathen  world,*  who  formed  such  wretched 
opinions  of  the  Causa  Causarum^  or  first  cause,  as  demon- 
strate how  closely  human  reason  borders  upon  stupidity  in 
heavenly  things. 

Now,  this  revelation  being  granted,  it  is  the  office  of  rea- 
son to follo'v.^  not  to  run  beyond  it:  And  a  man  cannot  be 
conceived  to  ii6l  more  radonally,  than  when,  sensible  of  his 
natural  incapacity,  he  rmplicitly  submits  to  tlie  declara- 
tions of  Hi]M,  who  is  all  wisdom  beyond  the  possibili- 
ty of  error,  all  truth  beyond  the  reacii  of  deceit,  and  all 
gocdness  beyond  the  attachment  of  evil. f  If  Truth  itself  lay 
*  Vid,  Macros,  in  Somn,  Scip.  1.  i.  c.  14.  Cic.  de  nat,  Deor, 
I^ACTANT.  dcfals.  Rel,  1.  i. 

I  A  late  noble  and  masterly  writer,  speaking  of  "  the  pure  and 
essential  uo6\rinf.  s  plainly  and  evidently  delivered  in  the  gospel." 
has  observed,  that  ''  these  being  made  known  to  us  by  a  revelation 
supported  by  j.  roofs  that  our  reason  ought  to  admit,  and  not  being 
such  things  as  it  can  ccrtuinlj  know  to  befaisc^  must  be  received  by  it 
as  objects  of  faith^  thcu-h  they  are  such  as  it  could  not  have  c'is- 
covered  by  any  natural  mei\ns,  and  such  as  are  d.flicnlt  to  be  con- 
ceived, or  satisfactorily  explained  by  its  limited  powers. In- 
deed, not  even  in  heaven  itself,  not  in  the  highest  state  of  perfe^ion 
to  which  a  finite  being  can  ever  attain,  a\  ill  all  the  counsels  of  Pro- 
vidence, all  the  height  :miS.  th^dtpth  o^  the  infinite  wisdom  of  God, 
be  ever  dl.'icloncd  or  undersood.  Faith  even  then  will  be  necessary  ; 
and  there  will  be  myfiterics  which  cannot  be  penetrated  by  the 
7ncst  exalted  arclvangcl,  and  tna/..;  which  cannot  be  known  by  him 
otherwise  than  {vom  rev  elation,  or  believed  upon  any  other  ground 


A  L  E  H  I  M,     o  R     G  O  D.  25 

dov/n  a  principle  ;  it  is  necessarily  a  true  principle,  aii  axio.n, 
a  doinonoration.  li  we  cannot  Cor.ceive  it,  the  trutli  will 
still  be  the  same,  ar. a  cannot  change  its  naiare;  and  the 
question  then  only  is,  whether  \%  shall  be  admitted  or  reject- 
ed, because  we  iiave  too  short  an  understui  ding  to  cov.ipre- 
hend  itf  And  it  we  rejecl  aii  that  we  cannot  coinprchend  ; 
we  must  begin  to  deny,  that  we  ourselves  exist,  because  we* 
do  not  understand  t\\Q proxima  causa^  or  even  the  mock  of  our 
own  existence.  Reason  itself,  then,  l.'inr^s  us  bark  to  a 
more  sure  guide,  and  says  aloud.  Tin  at  we   cannot  err  in 

BEIlt^.VING  THE  DECLARATIONS  OF  THE  GoD  OF  TRUTH, 
AND  THAT  IT  iS  THE  HIGHEST  WiSDOII  OF  MAN  TO  RECEIVE 
THEM. 

Here  reason  and  revelation  unite  to  bless  the  mind,  by 
leading  it  from  those  wild  mazes  of  ignorance  and  delusion, 
in  which  pride,  infidelity,  and  sin,  have  conspired  man's  de- 
struction, and  where  he  could  only  roani  v/ithout  certainty, 
without  hope,  and  without  peace  at  the  last. 

One  of  the  fathers  hath  well  observed,  '*  That  ignorance 
of  God  is  the  death  of  the  soul :"  And  we  all  by  narare  are 
ignorant  of  God  ;  because  our  souls,  since  the  fall,  are  all 
dead  in  trespasses  mid  sins.  To  recover  us  from  this  ignor- 
ance, is  one  great  obje6l  of  the  divine  revelation  :  And,  to 
be  sensible  of  this  ignorance,  is  thef.rst  step  to  be  made  in 
departing  from  it.  The  next  is,  to  foilovv^  our  divine  Leader, 
r.s  the  blest  above  follow  the  Lamb,  "vohitbersoe'oer  be  goetb. 
Pie  (we  may  be  assured)  can  neither  err  himself,  nor  lead 
his  disciples  astray.^ 

We  have  now  some  ground  to  proceed  upon,  and  no 
longer  need,  like  the  bewildered  heathens,  to  grope  in 
the  darkness,  if  haply  we  might  feel  after  God  and  find 
hi7n  ;  for  we  have  the  most  convincing  testimony,  from  the 
highest  and  most  infallible  evidence,  that  He  IS,  that  he  ex- 
ists in  a  MANNER  peculiar  to  himself,  and  that  this  PECU- 
LIARITY hath  a  description,  as  far  as  we  are  able  to  com- 

of  assent,  than  a  submissive  confidence  in  the  divine  ivisdoni.  What 
then,  shall  man  presume  that  his  vxah  and  narrow  understanding 
is  sufficient  to  guide  him /«fo  c// Jrw^^t,  without  any  need  cfrfUcV.7- 
tion  or  truth  ?  Shall  he  complain,  that  the  luajs  of  God  are  not  like  his 
wajs,  and  past  fuuUng  out  ?  True  philosophy,  as  well  as  true  Christir 
anity,  would  teach  us  a  wiser  and  modester  part.  It  would  teach  us 
to  be  content  within  those  bounds  which  God  has  assign lai  to  ijs,  2 
Cor.  X.  5.  casting doTjn  i^nagin-uions  and  every  high  thing  tJuit  e::dtcth 
itse-f  against  the  kingdom  of  God^  and  brirg'rg  into  captivity  every 
thought  to  the  obedience  of  Christ."  Lord  LYTTLETCN's'Cbs^  on  the 
conversion  of  St.  Paul. 

*  Coeli  mysteriian  doccat  me  Deus  ipse^  non  hDim  rpil  :cip;iii\n  i.n^ra- 
"Bit*     Amer.     Epist.  31. 


2-3  ALEHIM,     OR     GOD. 

prebend  it,  or,  at  least,  as  far  aG  it  is.  necessary  for  hs  to  know 
Of  course,  vvi  are  not  to  s-eck  for  descriptions  of  the  Deity 
out  of  the  liniiLs  oF  this  testimony,  beyond  which  we  are  sure 
only  Ol"  fiiidin;^  nothing  certain,  but  most  entirely  tvithin 
those  boundaries,  where  we  can  hei;r  nothing  but  the  truth. 
If  even  Fvtbugoras  could  s^y.  '"'•  V/ithout  light  nothing  is  to 
be  uttered  concerning  \y^A  :"  Wliere  then  sI-'hU  we  find  tliis 
.  light,  but  in  his  Word?  TjU  \\\\s  postuhtum  be  admitted,  a 
man  has  nothing  but  his  own  chii-nerical  fancy  to  support  him, 
which  will  not  ordy  dilfer  froiii  the  ten  thousand  diiferent  o- 
pinions  often  thousand  diffcrcrit  vnen,  but  also  quarrel  w)t:h 
itself  limes  without  number  in  the  couvse  of  his  life.  But 
wlieii  this  ground  and  pillar  of  the  truth  is  once  erec-tei  in 
thcj  heart,  the  m-i;)  does  not  measure  /V  by  his  own  wriinis 
and  conceptions  t-iken  from  other  things  ;  but  he  makes  this 
the  standard  and  rule  vv'h'ncby  to  measure  them.  And  after 
some  experience  of  tlie  justness  of  this  measure  in  its  exer- 
cise upon  'natural  ana  moral  subjecls,  in  which  it  never  was 
yet  detetSled,  by  all  human  wit  and  malice,  of  one  mistake  ; 
he  luTS  an  increasing  encouragement  to  trust  it,  by  the  grace 
and  light  of  the  Kcly  Spirit  its  Author,  in  tlie  determination 
of  those  purely  spiritual  topics,  to  which  no  rule,  taken 
from  or  existing  in  r,ia.t^rial  obje6ts,  can  possibly  be  applied. 

The  rule,  then,  by  v/hich  we  are  to  be  guided,  in  these 
hisjh  and  m.omentous  enquiries,  is  no  other  than  the  MIND, 
RULE,  or  LAW  of  God,  speaking  and  revealing  itself,  so 
far  as  it  is  right  or  necessary  for  us  to  know,  in  the  ho^.y 
Scrip'^urc:.  These  were  given  by  bis  inspiration^  ar..d  arc 
profitable  for  doctrine^  for  h'fproof  [convi6\ion]  for  correc- 
tion [sTravr.^^jto-;?,  restoration  to  rectitude^']  for  instruction  in 
righteousness  ,-  tOat  the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect  [wanting 
nothing]  thoroughly  furnished  unto  all  good  works.  i  Tim. 
i;i.  1 6.  The  prophecy  came  not  in  old  time.,  or  at  any  time, 
b\'  the  w:ill  of  man  ;  for  man  could  have  foretold  nothing  by 
himself,  and  bad  men  especiaiiy,  in  diiVerent  ages  of  the 
v/orld,  would  never  have  combined  to  compose  such  a  system 
of  pure  and  pious  doclrines  ;"^^  but  holy  men  of  God  spake  as 
t^.-ey  were  movsd by  ^'?(:  Hol i  Gkost.  z  Pet.  \.  z\.  We  cm 
call  for  n.)  ^Tt'/z/c'/' wi;;ne5s  in  this  cans.:  than  God  himself;, 
and  w^e  owe  both  to  it  and  our  ov/n  souls  too  m.nch,  to  tliink 
of  calling  for /l-jj. 

GOD  hatli  revealed  his  nature  under   the  name  of  JEHO- 

*  '*  If  the  Gcripturos  were  delivered  bj'  men  ;  then  cither  by  pocrf 
men  orb}-  had:  If  by  holy  men,  then  they  would  speak  the  truth, and 
not  lie  ;  if  by  bad  men,  then  they  would.never  have  set  down  such 
Klricl  rules  of  do6lrme  to  live  by,  as  must  condemn  themselves." 
See  Dr.  Prtlstok's  Sermons  on  the  Divine  Essence^  t:c.  Serrn.  iii. 


A  L  E  II  I IJ,     OR     0  0  D.  27 

VAH,  by  wliich  he  declares  himself  to  be  tlie  sole  in  lepend- 
cnt  Essence,  the  necessary  existence,  in  whom  and  by  whom 
alone  all  other  beings,  corporeal  or  spiritual,  criist  and  sub- 
sist. Tliis  title  expresses  his  incomnmnicabie,  self-existent, 
inliiiite,  and  everlasting  nature.  He  ever  was,  evt^r  is,  and 
ever  WILL  BJ.  This  is  all  we  can  comprehend  of  his  es- 
sence, when  we  have  added  every  idea  of  perfection  and  glo- 
r\',  wliich  are  revealed  concernin;^  this  essence,  and  whicii 
can  fill  our  mind?.  He  is  then  bevond  all  idea  THE  EVER- 
LASTING SAME. 

If  we  were  pure  creatures,  this  unchangeable  perfexSiion 
of  the  MOST  HIGH  would  be  an  unfailing  source  of  joy  to  our 
souls  :  But,  being  imperfect^  fallen^  and  sinful  creatures,  all 
this  purity  of  our  Creator  is  dirc6"i;ly  opposed  to  ui.  We 
have  now  no  complacen.cy  in  it,  naturally  ;  and  cannot  have, 
v;hile  we  continue  in  our  natural  state  ;  for  it  is  rcpugnaat 
to  our  lusts  and  passions,  which  are  all  corrupted  by  sin. 
God  is  not  only  opposite  to  the  sinner;  but  the  sinner  feels 
a  diametrical  opposition  to  him,  and  all  that  belongs  to  him. 
Hence,  the  world,  in  all  ages,  hath  been  averse  to  ihe  reveal- 
ed will  of  God,  and  to  the  true  disciples  of  Gc'L  who  have 
spoken  of  that  v/i!l  and  walked  in  it.  I'hat  no  natural  man 
can  saver  the  thin.gs  of  God,  is  a  proposition,  wliich  since 
llie  fall  ever  was  true,  and  which  will  be  true  to  the  end  of 
tlie  world.  Prom  this  opposition  nothing  could  justly  have 
httn  expected  by  the  creature  but  abscn^lute  destruction  and 
misery,  a  taste  of  which  every  man  feels  within  liim  ;  had 
not  the  benignity  of  his  Creator  graciously  incrined  both  to 
procure  the  means  of  deliverance,  and  to  pullisli  tneie  means; 
and  they  are  happily  in  force  to  this  day.  In  the  discovery 
of  so  much  goodness  and  mercy  in  himself  for  his  ruined  crea- 
ture; he  was  pleased  to  represent  himseif  under  a  variety  of 
nciiics^  either  characteristic  of  iiis  engagemicment  to  save,  or 
explanatory  of  the  7iaiiir£  of  his  salvation.  It  was  expedient 
for  man's  faith  and  comfort,  that  tliis  piiblicalion  sliould  take 
place;  or  rather,  it\s?.s  ncccss^rrv,^  or  God  would  not  have 
made  it. 

One  unalterable  attribute  v.'hich  God  hath  declared  of  him- 
strif,  is  his  Justice.  Tbc  soul  that  sinmtb^  shall  surely  die. 
in  tbc  day,  that  thou  eatcst  thereof^  ^y^''^^i  '^0:1  shaU  die. 
IViihout  sbeiicling  the  blood  (which  is  spiiiing  or  destroying 
liie  life)  there  is  no  remission  of  sins.  Yiow  ihcw  could  this 
justice  be  satisfied?  Not  by  the  sinner's  perdition  ;  for  then 
there  could  be  no  exercise  oi  ricrcy.  Not  by  the  sinner's 
mere  pardon  ;  for  then  God  must  have  been  a  liar,  and  have 
given  up  that  ^wtg  justice^  which  is  founded  upon  his  ir.fii'itc 
holiness,  and  is  absolutely  essential  to  his  nature.  The  sin- 
ni^r  was  to  be   saved:  and  God's   denunciatJ:)n   ao-ainst   sin 


33  A  L  E  H  I  M,    o  R     G  O  D. 

was  at  the  same  time. to  be  fully  accomplished.  Here  it  was, 
that  inlliiite  wisdom  alone  could  not  be  at  a  loss:  Here,  in- 
finite love  only  could  not  meet  with  despair.  Life  was  to  be 
forfeited  to  procure  salvation.  But  the  life  of  WHOM? 
What  Cjeated  being  could  step  forth  and  say,  "  Take  my 
life  for  the  lives  of  millions  of  men;  and  iet  my  perdition 
prove  an  atone  r.ent  for  them  !'^  If  a.iy  finite  love  could 
have  uttered  thiS  tender  expression  ;  it  would  have  been 
rnadncss  or  presumption  for  any  finite  being  to  have  oiTered 
the  change.  No  boh  creature  could  have  been  guilty  of  it ; 
because  the  root  ol  presumption  is  ignorance  and  sin.  All 
the  angels  in  heaven,  blessed  with  holiiiess  and  wisdom, 
could  not  but  see,  that  no  finite  sufferings  could  have  made 
an  atonement  to  the  infinite  justice  of  their  Maker,  and  that 
the  destruction  of  one  creatute  could  never  answer  the  de- 
served destraciion  of  iiiulior.s  of  creatures, — a  destru(^tion  tp 
keep  equal  Vvlth  tlie  guiii;,  necessarily  Without  intermission  or 
end.  The  Scripfire  now  breaks  in  -vvith  light  divine,  and 
shews  ;  tha:  ):li:.  only,  «;y/;5/;:  all  the  angels  ^Morship^  was  to 
perform  this  astonishing  task  of  suffering  ;  and  that  he  only, 
who  ^r^r/.^i6^^into  man  his  original  life,  would  restore  him, 
by  a  new  and  incorruptible  birth,  to  the  possession  of  that 
forfcitca  life  again.  Tne  Scripture  marks  these  two 
pronouns  HE  and  HE  by  various  nam.es  descriptive  of 
tneir  dtstinciion  in  point  oi persor.allty  or  subsistence^  ^s  well 
as  Ol  tiieir  undertaking  or  ojjice.  From  one  end  of  the  Bible 
to  the  other,  it  appears  to  be  the  ojice  wf  the  one  HE  to  atone 
for,  reconcile,  and  restore  ;  and  of  the  oiber^  to  eiTeduate, 
apply,  and  complete  ;  all  that  was  necessary  for  the  divine 
giory,  aiid  for  human  salvation.  Thus  Jehovah  was  to  be 
reconciled  by  Jehovah  :  Thus  Jehovah  became  a  Saviour^ 
and  the  only  Saviour  :  And  thus  jehovuh  is  the  sanctifier  of 
those  unholy  creatures.,  who  are  the  objects  of  his  mercy  and 
j^^demplion. 

Here,  then,  we  see  distinct  offices^  undertaken  and  accom- 
plished by  distinct  persons.  We  read  of  one  person,  who  is 
ca.kd  the  Father^  who  sorit  his  Son  into  the  world  to  save 
sinners  J  v/e  read  the  prophtcies  concerning  this  Son,  and 
ihelr  Tuifilmentin  hirn  and  i.y  him  for  the  salvation  of  sinners; 
and  we  read  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  sent  from  the  Father  and 
the  Son  to  quicken  and  bless  tlisse  sinnncrs  to  the  end.'*'  To 

*  These  and  many  other  do^lrincs  of  divine  revelation,  in  ths 
<iehvery  of  which  so  many  holy  men  in  all  ages,  unknov/n  to  each 
other,  have  concurred,  and  concurred  to  one  and  the  same  end ;  in 
futmano  co-ebro  nasci  nonj^otuerunt  says  tlie  excellent  MornausJ  could 
nevjr  have  sprung  from  the  head  oT man,  but  must  huve  been,  us 
app'j?.rs  even  frcMii  their  internal  evidence,  communicated  from 


ALE  HIM,    OR    GOD.  59 

tliese  three  persons  we  also  find  ascribed  all  the  powers,  glories* 
perfe6llons,  and  attributes  of  the  deity  :  We. hear  each  salut- 
ed by  that  incommunicable  name,  ivbicb  is  above  every  name^ 
and  distinctly  denominated  Jebovab'  And  we  are  taught, 
both  by  precept  and  example,  to  ivorsbip^  in  consequence,^// 
these  persons  under  tbis  name.  Yet,  after  all,  we  find  it 
written,  as  with  a  sun-beam,  and  most  caretully  and  emphati- 
cally delivered,  as  an  infallible  and  invariable  truth,  thai  Je- 
hovah is  but  ONE  Jebovab^  Either,  therefore,  these  tbree 
persons,  each  called  Jebovab^  are  but  one  Jebovab  ;  or  the 
revelation  and  wisdom  of  God,  respe6tig  his  own  being,  con- 
tradi6ts  itself.  But,  as  this  is  impossible,  it  will  follovr  most 
irrefragably,  that  Jehovah  is  one  Jehovah  in  tbree  persons, 
and  that  the  three  persons  have  a  distinct  mode  of  subsis- 
tence in  the  one  Jebovab^  though  their  essence  is  not  divided^ 
but  the  same.)  It  is  absurd  in  this  place  to  say,  that  we  can- 
not comprebend  this  ;  because  our  reason  is  not  the  judge 
here,  but  God's  own  revelation  of  himself;  and  this  truth 
cannot  depend,  for  its  existence,  upon  our  depraved  and  un- 
equal faculties.  Godhatb  revealed  it  .^  and  tberefore  it  is  true: 
is  an  argument  which  human  wit  cannot  repel,  and  which  it 
will  be  found  the  height  of  human  imprudence  to  oppose.  If 
he  hath  not  revealed  it  then  it  falls  to  the  ground  of  itself; 
but  then  also  fall  with  it,  the  whole  gospel  of  God,  and  the 
whole  salvation  of  man.  There  is  no  alternative  in  the  case, 
but  humble  faith,  or   absolute  scepticism  and  infidelity. 

Now,  as  the  word  Jebovab  doth  not  express  the  trinal  con- 
junction  of  these  three  divine  persons  in  the  divine  essence  ; 
another  word  hatii  been  given  us,  which  affords  us  a  notion 
of  this  plurality^  and  yet  is  so  applied  as  not  to  mislead  us 
from  the  unity.  This  name  is  the  title  of  our  present  Essay* 
ALEHIM  is  plural,  and  intimates  plurality  :  It  is  frequent- 
ly used  with  verbs  and  nouns  singular,  and  is  soinctimes  an^ 
plied  to  unity  itself.  Thus,  in  that  important  text;  Jeho- 
vah our  Alehim  is  ONE  JeifovAH.  As  a  very  learned  and 
excellent  author   hath  observed ;    "  The  very  sense  of   this 

IIiM,  who  only  could  give  just  thoughts  of  his  own  being,  and  con- 
firm the  truths  of  these  thoughts  by  ivoncUrs  and  signs  folloiviiig.  See 
much  more  to  this  eiVecl  in  that  great  work  of  ^Morn.eus.  Dtverit, 
Rel.  Christ,  c.  25* 

\  The  Wirtemberg  confession  of  faith,  states  the  doctrine  in  the 
following  words ;  Crcdimus  et  conjitemu?',  unum  soiunij  verum, 
teternum^  immensian  esse  DeutTi,  omnipotcntetn  Crcatcreniy  omnium  I'i- 
sibiliiim^  l3*  indivisibiliiim  ;  et  in  hac  una  ac  Aterna  Divir.itate  tri<:.'3  csst 
PERSE  sucsisTENTEs  proprietates  seu  personas^  Patrem,  Filium, 
et  Spiritum  Sanctum.  Svnta^,  Conf.  Fid.  P.  li.  q.  1 4^-4. 
Vol.   11.  '  E 


30  ALE  HIM,    OR    GOD. 

"•'  passage  leads  us  to  seek  for  a  plural  interpretation  ;  b^- 
"  cause  there  is  no  need  of  a  revelation  to  teach  us,  that  Jti^ 
"  hoviib  oLir  Akbivii  is  one  Jcho^jab^  which  is  no  more  than 
that  one  'u  one."*  This  word,  then,  expressing  the  plurali- 
ty oi  the  divine  persons,  is  proved  to  mean  the  eortjuficthn 
of  those  persons  by  the  use  of  the  singular  v»^ord  Jebovab 
with  it :  Or  the  two  terms  would  contradict  each  other. 
For,  if  the  word  "Jcbovab  mean  one  essence,  and  the  word 
Akbhn  bear  a  plural  interpretation  j  these  divine  persons  are 
in  some  respe6l  that  divine  essence  conjuncThcly^  v/hich  they 
are  not  distinctly  respecting  each  other.  In  other  words, 
there  is  a  distinction  m  thu  ujtity  of  the  divine  essence;  cr 
an  application  of  plural  w^ords  to  th^at  essence  would  be  an 
absurdity,  with  which  no  man  will  surely  be  hardy  enough 
to  charge  the  v/isdom  of  God. 

Since  then  there  exists  a  plurality  of  persons  in  the  divine 
essence,  we  have  a  full  answer  at  once  to  the  question;  Ho.v 
Jckovab  could  be  reconciled  by  Jcho'-oab ;  how  Jeho^^ab 
could  be  an  atonement  for  sinners  lojebovab  ;  and  how  jfe- 
bovab  could  lead  chose  pardoned  sinners  to  Jebovab^i  Upon 
any  other  ground  than  that  of  this  plurality,  these  doclrin-^s, 
which  frame  the  very  constitution  of  the  gospel,  would  be 
overthrown  as  inexplicable  and  absurd. 

The  w^ord,  in  this  view,  necessarily  implies  as  well  as  ex- 
presses a  Covenant^  and,  because  undertaken  for  lost  sinners, 
a  covenant  oi  Grace.  The  Son  in  Jehovah  must  have  under- 
taken ihis  redemption,  cr  he  could  not  have  been  compelled. 
The  Spirit^  v/ho  promised  all  that  was  promised,  voluntarily 
made  these  promises^  or  they  could  not  have  been  forced  from 
him.  Deity  cannot  suffer  any  impressions  of  external  power  ; 
because  there  is  no  powv^r  out  of  itself,  I?,  therefore,  the 
*S'v?2  undertook  this  work,  long  <5tyQ?rj  its  folfihneiU  ;  and  the 
Spirit  promised  for  ages  bcfire  the  accomplishment  of  his 
promises  ;  it  v/iil  follow,  that  it  was  because  the  mind,  cour:' 
sel^  and  purpose  of  the  three  persons  had  determined]-  that  it 
should bi'  donc^  in  the  fulness  of  time.  If  the  counsel  and  pur- 
pose of  the  three  persons  determined  this  ;  it  will  then  follow 
to  have  been  from  an  agreement  or  covenant  existing  among 
them,  in  the  frame  of  which  they  all  concurred,  and  in  tht^ 
reciprocal  share.  And  as  all  the  ideas  or  purposes  of  jeLia- 
vab  Alebim  niust,  from  the  necessity  of  his  nature,  be,  ever- 
hrsting  and  perpetual ;  this  covenant  could  not  but  be,  what 
tiie  Scripture  calls  it,  a  perpetual  or  everlasting  covenant^  u 
covcr.ant  ordered  in  all  tbings  and  sure,  a  covenant  of  faitb- 
fuincss  v^>hich  never  can  fail. 

*  Siirmons  upon  the /-fl=ry  a/ic^  Gt^ope/,  by  the  Rev.  Mr  Romaike. 
p.  21.3. 

t    Aa->  iv.  2  8. 


ALEHIM,    OR    GOD.  31 

Here,  then,  we  see  the  reason,  the  glory,  the  benignity  of 
this  wonderful  name ;  revered  by  patriarchs  and  prophets, 
abused  by  antient  apostates  and  idolaters*,  but  full  of  grace 
and  truth  to  every  believer  in  jcms. 

In  the  former  vokr.ne,  wc  proved,  that  the  title  Aieitim 
belonged  to  Jesus  Christy  respetling  his  divine  nature,  as  the 
Son  in  the  everblessed  trinity  :  and  it  is  our  professed  pur- 
pose in  this  Essav  to  shew, -that  this  ascription  pertains  and 
is  ap-plied  to  that  other  person  in  the  trinit)',  who  is  frequent- 
ly called  the  Holy  Ghost. 

It  should  be  premised,  hov/ever,  tliat  as  our  translators 
hZiVQ  rendered  this  name  by  the  word  God  from  the  Old 
Testament,  and  as  it  is  thus  rendered  (from  the  usage  of  the 
Septuagi.it)  in  the  New;  the  indiscriminate  use  of  the  terms 
AUbim  or  God^  as  they  occur  in  the  tvv^o  I'estaments,  will 
be  allowed,  if  both  are  proved  to  be  applied  to  the  Holy 
Ghost. 


The  Divinity  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Gen.  ii.  7.  Jehovah  A'Lv.nU'i  breathed  into  Man's  izostrils 
the  breath  of  life,  or  lives. 

But  in  Gen.  vii.  2,z.  this  breathing  of  Jehova?i  Alehim, 
is  said  to  be  the  breath  of  the  Spirit  of  lijc^  or  lives. 

The  Spirit  therefore  is  Jehovah  Alehim. 

Jer.  xxiii.  23,  24.  Am  I  the  Alehim  at  hand^  saith  Jeho- 
vah, and  not  the  Alehim  afar  ojf^ — Can  any  hide  himself 
in  secret  places^  that  I  shall  not  see  him  f  saith  Jehovah  :  Do 
not  I  Jill  heaven  and  earth  ?  saith  Jf.hovah. 

The  same  question  is  asked  almost  in  totidevi  verbis^  con- 
cerning the  Spirit.  Psalm  cxxxix.  i — 12.  Whither  shall  I 
go  from  thy  Spirit  f  Or  'vohithcr  shall  I  fee  1^3*3D  from  thy 
faces '^'\  And  an  answer  is  given,  in  the  course  of  the  psalm, 

*  The  name  Alehim  was  very  early  soused  hy  the  heathen,  and 
applied  to  the  powers  of  nature,  to  the  heavenly  bodies,  and  tifter- 
wards  to  stocks  and  to  stones.  They  retained  the  sounds  v/hen  they 
had  lost  thc^e/2oe  :  And  because  it  conveyed  the  iic»ticnof  a  plura- 
lity of  persons  in  che  GodJiead^  it  was  perverted  by  tlicm  to  signify 
a  plurality  of  Gods, 

t  This  word  is  often  used  i^:  perscii  or  persons^  and  tlieir  iminedi- 
ate  presence.  It  occurs  very  remarkably  in  Dcit,  iv.  37.  r.hcre 
Moses^  speaking  to  Israel,  says,  that  Jehovah  brought  them  cut  hy  /irs 
faces,  or  persons  :  Or,  in  other  language,  that  three  persons  in  Je- 
hovah concurred  in  their  temporal  deliverance,  typifying  thereby 
the  spiritual  recovery  of  all  his  people.     That  Ccd  shcv.id  brin^ 


3a  ALEHIM,    OR   GOD. 

to  this  efFecl ;  '^  Thou  Jebxivab  Alebim^  art  every  whe»6  ;'^ 
evidently  implying  the  co-equal  omnipresence  of  the  Spirit, 
The  question,  otherwise,  is  absurd,  and  the  answer  imperti- 
nent ;  which  no  man  will  dare  to  assert,  \vho  believes  the 
Bible  to  be  a  divine  revelation. 

The  Spirit  then,  is  Alehim  and  Jehovah. 

A6i3  X.  19,  2,0,  The  Spirit  said  to  Pete-r-— ^» — I  have  sent 
them. 

But,  in  verse  33,  it  is  said,  that  they  were />r^jf«/  before 
God^  to  hear  alt  things  that  were  commanded  him  o/'God. 

The  Spirit  therefore,  in  one  text,  is  called  God  in  the 
other. 

By  comparing  John  i.  13,  with  James  i.  18.  and  Gal.  iv.  6. 
we  find  that  true  believers  are  called  the  children  of  God, 
and  hence  have  a  right  to  cry,  Abba,  Father. 

But  they  are  also  said,  necessarily  and  indispensably  to  be 
born  of  the  Spirit,  in  John  iii.  5,  8. 

Consequently,  the  Spirit  must  be  God  :  Or,  God's  chil- 
dren have  two  spiritual  births,  of  two  different  spiritual  bC" 
ings,  which  is  equally  preposterous  and  unscriptural. 

Luke  i.  68,  70.  A6ls  iii.  18,  21.  The  Lord  Godoflsr^iel 
— spaie  by  the  mouth  of  his  holy  prophets,  nvhich  have  been 
since  the  world  began.     See  also  Heb.  i.  i. 

2.  Pet.  i.  21.  But,  holy  men  of  God  spake  as  they  were 
moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost 

The  Holy  Ghost,  therefore,  is  God,  and  the  Lord  God 
of  Israel.^— A  multitude  of  other  scriptures  may  be  found  to 
confirm  the  major  and  minor  part  of  this  argument. 

God's  people  are  Oto^i^xx}oi,  taught  of  God.  i  Thess*  iv.  9. 
Hence  they  are  called  by  Jehovah  himself  ''iTib  my  disciples^ 
i.  c.  those  whom  1  have  taught.  Is.  viii.  16.*  The  whole 
verse  confirms  this  point,  and  is  literally  thus  :  Impress  (or 
establish;  the  testimony  ;  seal  the  law  in  my  disciples.  And 
again,  Is.  :;lviii.  61.  I  am  Jehovah  thy  Alehim^  who  teach- 
cth  thee  to  prof  t^ 

Israel  owt  in  his  own  sight^  according  to  our  translation,  is  a  very 
poor  sense,  if  any  sense  at  all.  Christ  is  called  the  Messejiger  or 
Angei  of  God's  Faces,  because  through  him  his  people  renev,'  their 
lost  communion  with  the  divine  Persons  in  Jehovah, 

*  This  grueious  passage  promises  the  gift  of  the  Spirit  and  his 
irLivard  testimony  to  ail   his  people.     Its  purport  may  he  more 

clearly  expressed  by  a  paraphrase,  than  by  a  literal  version.- . 

"  Mark  and  fix  indelibly  as  en  a  rock  the  experimental  testimony 
"  of  my  grace  :  Seal  my  Spirit,  who  is  the  living  Laiv.  in  the 
"  hearts  of  my  disciples."  To  this  promise  there  seems  a  plain 
reference  made  by  the  apostle  in  2  Cor*  i.  22.  and  Eph,  i.  13^ 
See  hereafter  under  the  word  Law* 


ALEHIM,    OR    GOD.  33 

Bui  the  apostle  says,  that  the  ivisdom  in  the  gospel  is  not 
that  which  man*6  wiedom  teacheth,  but  that  nubicb  tbf  Holy 
Gno^T  teacbetb'\,  i  Cor.  ii.  13.  That  z^e  Anointing  [i  e. 
the  Spirit,  ^y  whom  believers  are  anointed]  teuchi'tb  them 
all  ttings.  I  John  ii.  27.  Christ  also  says,  tbe  Spirit  of 
truth — will  guiue you  into  all  truth — shall  ibe'vc you  thi?igs  10 
co7;.'c — shall  take  oj  tbe  things  of  nuna  and  shew  them  itni:  you, 
John  xvi.  13.  ike.  So  Nf.h.  ix.  2,0.  Thou  gavest  thy  good 
Spirit  to  instruct  tbcmy  or  to  make  them  understand  i  inti- 
mating plainly,  that  without  his  iastru(5lion,  they  could  know 
nothing  aright. 

This  combination  of  evidence  proves,  that  this  instruvSting 
good  Spirit  is  and  can  be  no  other  than  Jehov-vH  and  Ale- 
HIM,  or  LoKD  and  God. 

JusTincA":  ION  of  a  sinner  is  and  must  be  an  a6l  of  Deity  a- 
lone.  All  the  perfe6l  creatures,  in  the  universe  of  being, 
have  no  more  righteousness  than  what  their  faculties  are  fit- 
ted to  obtain  and  exert ;  and  conseqaently  the  whole  of  that 
righteousness  is  due  from  them  to  their  Creator,  and  so  due, 
that  they  can  have  none  to  spare  for  any  other  creature. 
But,  admitting  for  a  moment,  that  they  had  this  exuberant 
stock;  what  becomes  uf  xh&ix power  to  apply  it;  and  v/here 
do  we  read  the  promise  of  any  such  bounty  from  them  ?  Now, 
as  all  creatures  must  fail  in  this  sort  of  capacity  ;  it  is  ex- 
pressly said,  it  is  God  that  justifieth :  And  again,  that  He 
\QfQ'D\justiJietb  the  ungodly  ;  and  that  this  God  is  one  God, 
fiubo  shall  justify  the  circumcision  by  faith,,  and  tincircumcision 
tbrcugh faith.     Rom.  iii.  30.  iv.  5.  viii.  33. 

But  divine  truth  ass^ires  us,  that  the  Spirit  also  justifieth. 
I  Cor.  vi.  II.     Ye  are  justified — 'by  the  Spirit  of  our  God, 

The  Spirit,  therefore,  is  God  ;  and  (because  he  is  not  the 
whole  Godheadj  a/^^rjo??,  necessarily,  in  the  one  God  Je- 
hovah. 

Peter  said  to  Ananias^  Why  hath  Satan  filled  thine  heart 
to  lie  to  the  Holy  Ghost — thou  hast  not  lied  unto  Tuen,  but 
unto  God.  Acts  v.  3,  4.  This  Scripture  contains  a  syllogism 
within  itself.  "  Thou  hast  not  lied  unto  men  but  unto  God  :" 
because  thou  hast  lied  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  is  God. 
They,  who  take  this  Scripture  in  any  other  way,  only  puz- 
zle themselves  to  make  the  apostle  speak  nonsense.  Dr. 
Clarke^  Crellius^  and  others,  have  attempted  to  torture  this 
text  to  confess  a  contradiction  of  itself;  namely;  that  ^/;^7- 
nias^  in  lying  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  did  not  lie  to  God  ;  but 
only  to  his  messenger,  and  emanation,  a  virtue,  a  pov/er,  a 
quiddity. — An  absurdity  not  more'unphllosophical^  than  un- 

t  It  has  been  justly  observed,  that  the  antithesis  in  this  text 
of  man  and  the  Spirit  is,  by  itself,  sufficient  to  denote,  that  th<; 
spirit  is  God, 


34  ALE  HIM,     OR     GOD. 

scriptural  and  unworthy  of  his  high  titles  and  character  I 
But,  if  the  Holy  Ghost  be  rot  true  and  very  God  ;  where  is 
th^  particular  horror  and  aggravation  oi  Ananias'* s  cnmc^. — 
A  crime  which,  if  committed  only  against  a  creature^  is  also 
corninitted  against  the  creatures  every  vliy... 

This  Hcjly  Spirit  hath  domini(m  and  pov/er  in  the  souls 
of  mea  ;  and,  therefore,  the  grace  o£ faith  is  styled  one  of 
Yivo  fruits.,  effects  or  operations.     Gal.  v.  2,2,. 

But  this  very  faith  is,  by  the  same  apostle,  said  to  be  cf 
the  operation  oJiy^jD.     Col.  ii.  13. 

"What,  therefore,  ic  theSP'iuT,  but  God? 

Fkoli  the  same  possession  of  power,  the  Spirit  helpeth 
our  infirmities ;  j'or  wj  fino-.ij  nst  '■jjhat  'VJe  should  pray  jor  as 
*wc  ought.,  Sic.  Rom.  vili.  26. 

Eufc  la  Phil.  ii.  13.  che  apostle  says,  it  isGoT>  ivhich 'vjork- 
flh  IN  YO'J  botj  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  good  pleasure* 

Co'^s  quenily  the  Spirit  is  God. 

Up  >n  the  same  principle  is  this  argument :  Believers  are 
s.a.ed  by  the  Spirit  to  the  day  of  redemption,     Eph.  iv.  30. 

hue  the  same  apostle,  speaking  in  behalf  of  believers,  says, 
that  God  hath  seclediis.      2,  Cor.  i.  212.. 

Therefore,  the  Spirit  is  God. 

Another  operation  of  the  Spirit  is  his  witness  in  the 
soui  by  his  heavenly  grace.  Hebr.  x.  15.  The  Holy  Ghost 
is  a  ^vitness  to  us,  John  v.  6.  It  is  the  Spirit  that  btareth 
ivitness^becaiise  the  Spirit  is  Truth. ^ 

i>ut,  in  verse  tlie  9th  of  the  hast  mentioned  chapter,  this 
witness  is  called  the  vjit?iess  of  God,  ^^hlch  he  hath  testified 
of  his  Son, 

Therefore,  the  witness  of  the  Spirit,  and  the  witness  of 
God,  are  one  ;  because  God  and  the  Spirit  are  one, 

God  is  an  unsearchable  being  to  his  creatures  ;  because  he 
is  infinite,  aud  they  are  finite  altogether.  There  can  be  no 
:neasiirc  without  degrees  f^i  comparison:  And  the  divine  na- 
ture must  transcend  all  degrees,  which  iwIqx  m^ re  ox  less  ; 
for  tiiere  cannot  be  more  or  less^  or  any  expression  of  quan- 
tity^ in  abeingboth  uiilimittedatid  incomprehensible.  Hence 
it  is  said;  his  greatness  (or  vastness)  is  unsearchable,  Psa. 
c\lv.  3.  And  it  is  asked;  Canst  thou  by  searching  find  out 
tbi'  Aloah?  Canst  thou  fnd  out  ^w  r>'h:Dn''rj  to  perfection 
the  Shaddai,  or  Almighty.^  That  is,  canst  thou  apprehend 
the  v)hole  of  him  ?  Job  xi.  7. 

But  the  Spirit  searclicth  all  Things,  )'ea  the  deep  thing.s 
[the  profound  fullness]  of  God.      i  Cor.  ii.  10. 

*  See  a  further  illustration  of  the  evidence  from  this  text  in  that 
able  confutation  of  Mr.  Lindsay?,  apology  1)y  WiUlain  JSurgli,  esq. 
p.  212,  2d  edit. 


A  L  E  H  I  M,     o  R     G  O  D.  35 

Can  any  words,  therefore,  more  strongly  argue,  that  the 
Spirit  is  equal  with  God?  And  if  equal,  tlien  neces.sarily 
God  himself  f* 

Tills  Holy  Spirit  is  promised  to  remain  \vith  the  cliurch  in 
all  ages  of  the  world.  I'here  is  no  true  ministry  in  it  but  by 
his  ordination  ;  and  no  success  from  that  ministry  but  by 
his  oi)eration.  Hence  the  Holy  Ghqst  is  said  to  make 
iiiKTM-wns  overseers  to  feed  the.  iiock.  A6ls  xx.  2,8. 

But,  in  I  Cor.  xii.  28.  we  read  that  it  is  God,  who  hatb 
set  in  the  church  the  various  orders  of  ministeis. 

And,  therefore,  it  obviously  concludes,  that  th.e  Holy 
Gnosr  is  God. 

It  is  repeatedly  said,  that  God  raised  Christ  from  the  dead. 
Acls  ii.  24.  ei  aL  Very  remarkable  in  Hcb.  xiii.  20,  21.  The 
God  of  Peace,  that  brought  again  from  the  dead  cur  Lord 
Jesus,  that  great-Shepherd  of  the  sheep  make  you  perfect  in  e- 
very  good  ivork,  working  in  you  that  ^.vhichis  hx^cH pleasing^ 

But  it  is  also  said  that  Christ  v/as  quickened  by  the  Spirit. 
I  Pet.  iii.  18.  And  the  text  in  the  Hebrews  evidently  re- 
lates to  tiie  of?.ce*chara6ler  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

It  will  follow,  then,  that  the  Spirit  is  God  and  the  God 
cf  Peace. 

The  Israelites /;roz;o/^e«^  Jehovah  and  Alehim,  in  the^joiU 

t  The  learned  Gomar  hath  taken  this  argument  of  omni science, 
and  at  once  proved  the  divinity  of  the  three  persons  from  it.  As 
his  wcjriis  are  not  in  many  hands,  the  foilowinj^  tra.nskJ,icn  13  of- 
fered, for  the  sake  of  the  common  reader.  "  Some  particulars  are 
*'  ascribed  to  the  Father  alone,  to  the  Son  alone,  and  to  the  Spirit 
*^  alone,  which  are  not  to  be  understood  in  reference  to  the  ether 
'•  persons  in  the  Godhead,  but  only  in  relation  to  the  creatures.- 
"  For  instance  ;  Math.  xi.  27.  No  one  [sk-j  nemo]  hioweth  the 
"  Son  kit  the  Father  :  i,  e,  he  alone  knoweth.  But  the  Sou 
*•  must  certainly  kno^v  his  own  self;  nor  can  the  Spirit  be  ignor- 
*'  ant  of  him,  because  he  searchrth  all  things^  yea  [rx  C^jS--/?,  profunda] 
*'  772.'  dcepthin-^s  of  Cod,  1  Cor.  ii.  10."  And  here  the  creatures 
*'  are  excluded.  A?^ain  ;  Christ  says  in  the  above  text,  neither 
"  hnoivcth  rls  any  ov.c  the  Father,  sa^oc  the  Son.  and  he  to  -ivhom  the 
"  ^ov,,  will  reveal  him.  Here  surely  the  Father,  is  not  excluded 
"  from  the  knowledge  cf  himself,  or  yet  the  Ho'y  Sbirlt  ;  lastly,  the 
"  things  cfGod  knovjcth  aoc.?  no  one,  but  the  Spirit  of  God.  I  Cor.  ii. 
"11.  And  yet  beyond  ail  controversy,  neither  the  Father  nor  the 
^*  Son  are  excluded  from  that  knowledge.  But  all  these  proposi- 
ii  tions — the  knowledg-e  of  the  Sen,  to  the  Father  alone — the  know- 
ii  ledge  of  the  Fc:th?r,  to  the  Sen  alone — and  the  knowled^-e  of  Go:/, 
u  to  the  Spirit  alone — are  to  be  understood,  not  as  excluding  the 
a  knowJedg-eof  ewe  divine  person  from  the  ether  trjo,  but  onlv  as 
c.  excepting  the  cr^atur-:."     liiuytr.  Joh.  i,  n,  211. 


36  A  L  E  H  I  M,    0  R     G  O  D. 

derness^  proved him^  and  saK\}  bis  tvork,    Comp.  Ps.  xev*  8,  9. 
with  Exod.  xvii.  7.  Numb.  xiv.  22.  et  ai. 

But  the  Holy  Ghost  saitb— -your  fathers  ieuiptedME,  &e* 
Hcb.  iii*  7,  &c* 

The  Holy  Ghost,  therefore,  is  Jehovah  and  Alehim,^ 
or  Lord  God. 

No  creature  can  possibly  be  an  object  of  ^worship ;  and 
therefore  no  creature  can  possibly  have  a  temple  for  the  wor- 
ship of  itself.  The  pretence  would  be  impious^  and  the  ser- 
vice idolatrous. 

But  believers  are  called  in  several  places,  tbe  temples  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  cbe  temples  of  God,  indiscriminately* 
There  is  not  the  least  difTereace  or  distin6lion,  or  even  the 
remotest  hi.u  of  a  difference  or  distin<5lion  made  between 
them.   I  Cor.  iii*  16,  2  *Jor*  vi.  16,  <kc. 

God  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  therefore,  are  essentially  one 
as  v<rell  as  their  temples;  and  tlvus,  distinctly  in  person^  or 
conjuncthely  in  essence^  are  the  proper  object  of'worsbip  and 
adoration. 

Thf-'e  would  be  no  end  to  the  arguments,  which  might  be 
brought  to  prove  this  truth  o!"  the  Spirit's  divinity  from  his- 
own  Bible.  Ind<?ed,  as  tba:  testimony  of  Jesus  //  tbe  spirit  of 
prophecy  ;  so  the  testimony  of  th^  Holy  Spirit  is  the  power 
and  principle  of  a!l  revelation,  and  consequeaily,  as  such,  the 
very  life  of  all  the  Scriptures.  Without  Him^  they  never 
would  have  existed  ;  nor^  v/ithout  his  continual  agency^  are, 
thev,  more  thaii  any  other  book,  a  blessing  in  the  world. 

It  appears,  then,  from  revelation,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
Jebovab  and  Alebtm  or  Z(?rJand  God ;  that  he  is  a  divine 
Person^  and  not  a  mere  unconscious  instrument,  or  created 
quality  ;  and  that,  accordingly,  He  hath  ascriptions  which 
can  belong  only  to  a  person  in  the  Godhead  who  sr-:s,  who 
knows  and  who  orders  all  things.  In  the  cours--  of  tness  Es- 
says, the  evidence  of  his  divine  personality  wiU  be  more 
particularly  considered  .  and  therefore  we  will  conclude  this 
point  of  the  Spirit"' s  proper  divinity  by  an  argument  of  a  mix- 
ed nature,  founded  indeed,  as  to  its  datiim^  upon  divine  re- 
vclati'on^  like  all  other  spiritual  truth  ;  but  more  combined 
xjiih  human  reason,  wliich  some  people  pretend  to  exalt  a- 
gainst  the  wisdom  of  Gcd,  but  wliich  "  purged  from  its  film,'* 
becomes  its  dutiful  servant  and  willing  advocate  against  the 
daring  pretences  of  unreasonable  men. 

G©i)  alone  is  the  Creator  nf  nil  things.  This  is  a  maxin-i 
which  revelation  hath  fully  declared,  and  to  which  the  lowest 

*  If  it  he  asl;edj  "  Ilovr  can  \\\\:=,  plu^-al  v/oy(\  Ahhimho.  applied 
70  or.<^  of  tiie  divine  Persons?"  the  reader  is  requested  to  turn  to 
the  first  Volume,  p.  103,  for  an  answer. 


A  L  E  H  I  M,     o  R     C  O  D.  37 

degree  of  reason  must  yield  a  ready  assent.  Alltliemen? 
who  have  ever  lived  upon  the  earth,  were  never  able  to  pro- 
duce a.  7icii)  thing  upon  it,  or  to  i^ive  life  where  it  has  once 
been  taken  away.  The  intcllscl  of  man  cm  only  rise  to  a 
discovery,  more  or  less,  of  what  exists  ;  and  all  his  power  is 
exsrcised  only  upon  the  matter  and  forms  about  him,  to 
which  he  can  ^dd  nothing  of  iiis  own,  nor  from  which  dhni- 
iiisb  aught  by  a  redu6Vion  to  nothing.  This  rule  must  hold 
with  all  ranks  of  being,  except  the  Supreme.  But  we  are 
informed,  by  the  unerring  wisdom  of  the  Most  High,  that  the 
Spirit,  of  whom  we  are  treating,  hath  made,  hath  fashioned, 
doth  give  life  and  being  to  the  heavens^  to  the  earthy  and  tj 
mtn.  This  Spirit,  therefore  is  not,  cannot  be  made  himself: 
And  if  he  be  not  a  creature,  he  must  be  of  the  same  substance 
with  the  Godhead  of  the  Father^  and  the  Son  ;  and,  being  of 
the  same  substance,  has  a  right  to  the  title  of  vra,  or  Crea- 
ror,  with  them  in  the  unity  of  that  substance,  as  the  whole 
three  persons  or  Trinity  have  to  the  plural  denomination  of 
C3"'N'n*i3t  and  o'»u;:^  the  Creators  and  Makers.  See  Eccl.  xii, 
I.  and  Is.  liv.  5.  et  al.  Now,  as  whatever  is  not  God,  must 
necessarily  be  a  creature  ;  so  what  a  creature  is  not,  that 
God  is.  If  the  Spirit,  therefore,  be  not  of  the  same  sub- 
stance with  the  Godhead,  he  is  unavoidably  a  created  sub- 
stance:  And  if  He  be  a  created  substance,  then  nothing  ever 
was,  or  ever  could  be  created  by  Him.  But  the  v/ord  of  the 
living  God  says  positively,  that  the  hea'oens^  and  the  earthy 
and  ;«<2/z  in  particular  w^r^  creatcd\>y  \\\Xi\\  And,  therefore, 
it  will  follow,  upon  the  united  assent  of  revelation  and  rea- 
son, that  the  Holy  Spirit  as  Creator  is  of  one  substance  or 
essence  with  the  Fatiii:r  and  the  Son,  and  consequently  is 
\yith  them,  God  o'oer  all^  blessed  for  ever. 

Could  it  be  admitted  for  a  moment,  that  the  Holy  Ghost 
is  not  very  God,  nor  a  proper  obje6l  of  worship  ;  then  the 
Christian  church  in  all  ages\  hath  been  guilty  of  ijie  most  pro- 
fane and  abominable  idolatry,  and  the  ritual  df  the  church 
of  Eugland^^  among  other,  is  contaminated  with  the  abo- 
mination of  heathenism,  by  instituting  divine  service  to  a 
creature.  The  hosts  of  heaven  sing  Holy^  Holy.,  Holy^  for 
nought  J  and  i^with  horror  be  it  spoken)  God  liiL:self  hsth 
failed  in  the  performance  of  his  promise,  thixt  his  people 
should  be  led  and  guided  into  all  Truth,  and  that  against  his 
church  the  gates  of  hell  should  never  privaiL  But,  if  it  be  impos- 
sible, that  (xod  should  have  so  left  liis  church,  or  that  his  faith- 
Vol.  II.  F 

\  See  Lord  Chancellor  King  on  the  Creed,  ch.  vl.  p.  3  16. 

*  See  her  litany ;    her  oftices  of  consecration  of  jjriestSf  Sec.  ar»vi 
the  d^f^oj^ies. 


33  ALEHIiM,    or     GOD. 

fulness  and  truth  should  thus  have  failed;  it  wiH  follow, 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  h.ith  been  rightly  the  obje6l  o.'  their 
.constant  adoration,  and  that  He  himself  hath  inspired  them 
with  his  grace  to  render  to  him  this  tribute  of  their  praise. 

The  Holy  Ghost  then  is  God.  But  it  has  been  before 
s^id,  and^  it  is  a  principle  of  true  religon  which  even  tho 
wiser  sort  of  Heathens  have  assented  to^f  that  there  is  but 
ONE  God.  If,  therefore,  the  Scriptures  inform  us,  thac 
there  are  three  distinct  persons,  styled  Father^  Son  and  Spi- 
rit^ who  have  distinct  ofkces  and  energies  in  the  salvation  of 
man  ;  and  that  each  of  these  three  do  claim  the  power  and 
name  of  the  07ie  Jehovah  ;  it  is  obvious,  that  they  are  not  one 
in  the  same  respecl  as  tliey  are  three,  but  that  there  is  a  real 
distinction  in  their  inseparable  union.  Oxk  they  must  be 
essentially  for  there  is  but  07ic  God:  Three  they  must  also  be 
hypost:itioally  or  personally  ;  or  there  is  neither  Father^  Son^ 
r.or  Holy  Gbost^  and  oF  course  tlie  Scriptures  are  false.  The 
conclusion,  therefore,  is  plain  and  clear,  that  these  three 
persons  arc  one  Godhead^  and  that  the  one  Godhead  (if  it  may 
be  said)  is  the  common  substratum^  of  the  three  persons,  iu 
which  they  mutually  and  inseparably  co-exist,  "  without  any 
difierencc  or  iiiequality."  To  express  this  intercommunity 
of  the  divine  persons,  X.\\ii plural  names,  ascribs-dto  the  God- 
head in  the  Hebrew  Bible,  appear  to  have  been  revealed; 
and  not  honoris  causa^  or  for  the  sake  of  dignity,  as  some 
li^ve  imagined  ;  because  God  can  receive  no  honor  from  mere 
sounds,  but  only  from  v/hat  they  signify  ;,  and  He  has  given 
us  not  the  least  hint  that  He  has  used  the  plural  number  for 
any  such  purpose.  And  if  the  Godhead  be  one  only  person^ 
with  what  sort  of  propriety  is  the  plural  number  Alekim  so 
often  used,  when  its  own  singular  Aloak  would,  in  tiiatcase 
be  so  much  the  fitter  term  ?  Besides,  it  is  a  question  upon  his 
truth,  that  He  should  call  himself  We  and  Us,  instead  of  I  . 
and  ME,  as  he  frequently  doth,  i-f  he  were  only  one  person  or 
subsistence;  audit  would  be  representing  God  as  compli- 
nienting  himself,  at  the  expencc  of  his  veracity,  in  the  hol- 
low language  of  earthly  courts  and  princes. 

To  render  this  important  point  still  more  undeniable,  it 
may  not  be  improper  to  prodacc  some  proofs  from  the  Scrip- 

t  Sp.lukn,  de  D'lis  Syris.  Prol.  r.  3.  To  the  same  purpose,  Max^ 
i:nu5  7j.r/y5,  a  heathen,  says  eloquently  ;  "  Amidst  all  the  contro- 
"  vcrsy,  discord,  and  diifcrcnces  of  men,  you  may  sec  one  rule  and 
**'  opinion  obtaining  throughout  the  world,  That  God  is  One,  the 
*'  King  and  Father  of  all  things,  with  many  other  gods,  his  chil- 
"  dren  reigning  with  God.  This  both  the  Greek  and  Barbarian 
"  maintain  ;  this  is  asserted  by  nations  both  near  and  remote  ; 
"  and  in  this  both  tlic  wise  and  the  ignorant  are  agreed^'  Vidi^ 
phira  apud  Grot,  de  ver  ReU  Christ,  I.  1 .  {.  p.  1 6.  22.  %» 


ALEHIM,    OR    GOD.  39 

t\ire,  in  addition  to  those  offered  under  the  name  Alf.him  in 
the  fornier  volume,  which  may  evince,  that  what  is  said  of 
the  Father^  is  said  of  the  Son  and  Holy  Ghost  without  reserve 
or  limitation,  and  that,  therefore,  they  are  one  in  essence 
though  three  in  person. 
God  alone,  mediately  or  immediately,  can  rnise  the  cJearJ. 
But  the  Father  rciseth  up  the  clccd^  undquickencib  than: 
John  v.  ar.  So  doth  the  Son,  ^.vbom  he  tMI:  Ibid*  And  the 
Spirit  raised  and  tjuickcnsd  ^vtn  Christ  himself  from  the 
dead,     i  Pet.  iii.  18.     See  also  Rom.  viii.  11. 

Therefore  each  of  these  tluee  must  be  God. 

But  tliere  is  but  one  God  : 

And,  therefore,  these  three  ure  pne  God. 
Col.  ii.  z.  'I'he  apostle  here  speaks  of  the  inystery  of  God, 
and  of  the  Father,  and  of  Christ*  Now,  if  the  Cad  and  the 
Faibcr  in  this  place  are  one  and  the  same  person  ;  it  v/ill  fol- 
low upon  the  same  ground,  that  God^  and  the  Fathi;r^  and 
Christy  are  all  one  and  the  same  person  ;  for  the  same  copu- 
latives unite  the  one  and  the  other.  The  apostle,  likev/ise, 
could  not  have  called  that  a  inysury  (to  acknoivledrre  which 
the  Colossians  were  to  increase  in  faith,)  which  would  only 
imply  that  these  three  names  meant  one  and  the  same  thing; 
for  this  would  have  been  playing  upon  term..,  which  is  a  sort 
of  folly  not  to  be  found  in  God's  word.  But  if  iie  meant  the 
do<5lrine  of  a  Trinity,  and  that  the  Father^  and  Christ  as  to 
his  divinity,  with  another  person  termed  God^  who,  from  o- 
ther  Scriptures  we  learn,  must  be  God  the  Holy  Ghost^  are 
three  persons  in  one  Godhead ;  then  he  might  justly  call  it 
a  mystery^  because  it  is  both  a  divine  revelation  and  a  mat- 
ter of  faith,  to  the  acknovvledgment  of  which  it  v/ould  be  the 
riches  of  the  full  assurance  of  midcrstanding  to  obtain.  And 
these  last  words  are  as  much  a  mystery  to  the  carnal  mind, 
as  the  do6lrine  of  the  Trinity  can  be  to  any  miind  ;  but,  how- 
ever, not  the  less  certain  and  true.  Haggai.  ii.  4,  5.  I nni 
*wiih  you^  scitb  Jehovah  Sabaoth,  ikiith  the  Word  which 
\n"i3  I  cut  off  (or  severed)  with  you  in  bringing  you  forth 
from  Egypt,  andviy  Spirit  residing  in  the  midst  cfyou^  that 
yc  might  notfcar*^'  In  this  promise  are  mentioned  the  three 

*  The  word  '^Ts^'^y  rendered  in  our  version,  /  ihtoc  a)venanted,  is 
Gtri^ly,  I  have  cut  off^  or  severed,  and  alludes  to  tlie  cutting-  in  pie- 
ces or  severing  of>a  clean  beast  before  the  Lord,  as  the  instituted 
type,  that  Christ,  the  great  Pt^r(//er  of  his  people,  should  be  \;o  cut 
off  and  severe(fy  as  to  be  applied  to  their  respc61ive  use  and  bene- 
fit. And  the  institution  of  the  Lord'^  Supper  retains  the  same 
idea,  that  Chnst  is  broken  and  distributed  among  his  redeemed. 
The  above  text  in  the  Prophet  refers  to  the  Paschal  Lamb  in  Excd. 
xii.  AvlioT^as  sacrifictd  and  severed,  and  whose  blood  v/as  sprinkled 


40  A  L  E  H  I  M,     o  R     G  O  D. 

covenanting  persons,  Jehovah^  the  Wordy  and  the  Spirit  /  and 
it  doth  not  seein  improbable,  that  the  Apostle  had  his  eye 
upon  this  passage,  when  he  wrote  the  remarkable  text  of  the 
three  'witnesses  in  heaven^  the  Father^  the  IVord^  and  the  Holy 
Ghost;  I  John  V.  7.  However,  in  that  text  of  Haggai  there 
are  three  persons,  as  well  as  in  that  of  St.  John  ;  and  in  both 
the  three  are  one. 

Matth.  iii.  16,  17.  Here  we  find  the  Father  speaking, 
This,  is  my  beloved  Son,  &c. — -to  the  Son  the  heavens  tvere  a- 
penedy  and  upon  him  descending^  for  a  visible  testimony, — r 
the  Si'iRiT  like  a  dove. 

That  the  Father  is  God  is  allowed  by  ail.  That  the  Son^ 
for  whom  these  words  v/ere  used,  is  God,  will  appear  from 
the  second  Psalm  and  the  first  chapter  of  Hebr.  And  that 
the  Spirit  is  God,  beside  the  proof  already  given,  is  manifest 
from  Isaiah  xi.  2.  where  he  is  expressly  called  the  Spirit 
Jehovah. 

But  there  1%  but  one  God. 

Therefore,  the  Father^  Son^  and  Spirit  are  one  God, 

John  xiv.  23.  The  Father  divells  in  believers.  Epk, 
iii.  17.  Christ  dwells  in  them.  Rom.  viii.  9.  the  Spirit  al- 
so dwells  in  them. 

But  God  hath  saidy  I  vjill  dwell  in  thefn^  he.  2.  CoR.  vi. 
16. 

Therefore,  the  Father,  Son^  and  Spirit  are  God. 

upon  the  houses  of  the  Israelites,  that  the  vengeance  of  God  might 
pass  over  them,  iindhtuce  this  Lamb  was  itself  called  the  Passovery 
and  its  death  the  sacrijice  of  the  Lord's passover  ;  and  it  was  to  be  a 
memorial  to  them,  that  thAsJir si-born  Lamb  (for  it  was  a  male  of  the 
first  year)  was  typically  slaiii  for  the  salvation  of  the  frst-born  a- 
mong  the  people  oi Israel.  Thus  Christ  our  Passover  was  sccrifced  for 
i\\Qfirst-borny  who  are  called  tlie  church  of  the  first-borriy  ivhose  names 
are  ivritten  in  heaven;  and  v/as  the  Word  (here  ipentioned  by 
Haggai)  with  whotn  Jehovah  7uas  (or,  as  the  Apostle  speaks,  God  was 
in  Christ),  and  whom  He  cut  of,  as  the  frst-born  Lamb,  without  spot, 
or  blemish,  to  be  a  ransom  for  their  deliverance  from  the  spiritual  E~ 
gypt  or  bondage;  and  in  testimony  of  which  his  Spirit  would  re- 
side 111  them,  that  they  might  not  fear  on  aecount  of  their  sins,  but 
have  everlasting  consolation  and  good  hope  through    race. 

It  is  worth  remarking  from  Dr.  AUix,  that  the  targum  of  Jonathan 
Ben  Uzziel  ihQ  Chaldee,  hath  rendered  this  text  of  Haggai ;  I  am 
nvithyou,  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  with  the  Wonnwhich  covenanted 
nvilhyouwhcn  ye  came  out  ofEcypt,  and  my  Spirit  which  abideth  in 
the  mi djt  of  you.  See  Dr.  Allix's  Jud- merit  of  the  Jewish  church, 
Pt  353.,  Of  the  targums,  kc.  see  a  clear,  yet  concise  account,  in 
Pridcauj^'s  Connect.  Pari  ii.  B.  8. 


ALE  HIM,    OR    GOD.  41 

Matth.  xxviii.  19*  People  are  to  be  baptized  in  the  Name 
of  the  Fa  ber^  Son^  and  Holy  Gbcsi.^' 

But  there  is  only  one  Lord,  as  well  as  07ie  faith  and  one 
ba/tism'     Eph.  iv.  5. 

Therefore,  these  three  are  the  one  Lord,  who  is  the  ob- 
]t6\  of  this  faith,  and  to  whom  his  people  are  baptized. 

The  following  text  is  an  invincible  argument  by  itself; 
and  therefore  it  is  not  a  wonder,  that  the  adversaries  of  the 
doclrine  should  attempt  every  means  to  get  *' well  rid  of  it." 

1  John  v.  7.  There  are  three  that  bear  record  in  heaven^ 
^/6e  Father,  the   Word,  and  the  Holy  Ghost:  and  thrse 

THREE  are  ONE.f 

2  Cor.  xiii.  14.  The  grace  of  the  hoKU  Ji.h.us  Christ, 
aiid  the  love  o/God,  ajid  the  communion  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
be  ivith  you  all^  Amen. 

But  it  is  God  who  giveth  grace,  i  Pet.  v.  5.  et.  al.  There- 
fore, Christ  is  God,  It  is  the  Father  who  loveth  and  bestow- 
eth  love,  and  he  is  here  called  God,  And  the  communion  or 
felloi}}sbip  of  the  Holy  Ghost  must  be  that,  by  v/hich  believ- 
ers have  fellowship  with  the  Father^  and  Sony  i  John  i.  3. 
and  vv'hich  is  c^^lled  fellowship  with  God,  in  v.  6.  From  whence 
it  may  be  inferred,  that  the  S  trit  is  God  ;  or  else  the 
communion  of  the  church  is  with   a  creature  ;    and  the  apos- 

*  "  This  is  an  evident  demonstration  of  the  Spirit's  divinity  ;  for 
it  cannot  be  believed,  thr.t  to  two  persons^  tertium  quid^  a  third  some- 
thing- should  be  added,  which  might  only  be  an  operation  or  a  quality. 
Nor  are  we  baptized  in  the  name  of  any  operation  or  grace,  but  in 
the  name  of  God,  Nor  do  wc  believe,  according  to  the  creed,  in  a 
spirit  which  may  not  be  God.  And  if  the  sin  againstthe  Holy  Ghost 
be  unpardonable;  against  v^hombut  God  can  such  an  offence  be  com- 
mitted?" Mohi-^ x.'U s  deuno  Dfo,  Is'c.  apud  Thes,  Sedan.  Vol.  i.  p. 
93.  If  the  Holy  Ghost  in  this  text  be  nothing  but  a  quality,  there 
can  be  no  reason  given,  why  the  other  two  names,  which  arc  cou-' 
pled  with  it  should  be  more  :  And,  in  that  case,  it  was  no  material 
blunder,  which  those  ignorant  churchmen  made,  who,  instead  of 
usi:ig  the  above  names  in  Latin,  baptized  in  nomine  Patria,  ct  Filia^ 
et  SpiriPii  Sancta,  Sum,  Coned, yQv  Carranzam.  p.  557. 

t  Let  any  unprejudiced  person  read  the  context,  and  he  must 
perceive  a  flagrant  chasm  if  this  text  be  removed.  It  is  so  neces- 
sary to  the  apostle's  argument,  tliat  the  argument  is  not  complete 
without  it:  And  it  is  abundantly  more  likely,  that  these  remarksr 
blc  words  should  be  left  out  and  obliterated  in  copies,  made,  or 
kept  by  the  antient  Heretics,  than  that  they  should  have  been  foir.V 
cd  in  by  the  orthodox,  who  have  authorities  enough  beside  for  the 
do6lrine  expressed  in  them.  If  the  reader  would  see  a  h:ii  inves- 
tigation of  this  matter,  let  him  consult  the  excellont  WiTnius,  ir^ 
his  third  Exercit.  ds  Sermone  Dei,  and  the  authorities  cited  therein. 
See  also  the  letters  annexed  to  Sloss  vbon  the  Trinity.  Mill  in  loc. 
To  which  may  be  added  a  very  sensible  and  learned  discussion  in 
-  -^eTeral  letters  signed  T.  in  the  Gent.   JIc^^azi):e,  for  the  year  1782. 


42  ALEIIIM,    OR   GOD. 

tie  would  ble.*s  the  church  in  the  name  of  a  creature,  which 
creature  he  hath  placed  upon  a  line  with  God  himself. 

These  three  persons,  then,  are  God  ;  and,  because  the 
'Godhead  is  but  one^  they  are  one  God. 

Fkom  this  unhy  of  essence  alone,  can  we  conceive  the  pur- 
pose of  God  in  denominating  the  Holy  Spirit  by  various  ti- 
tles, which  belong  to  the  Fatber  and  the  Son^  or  why  he  is 
called  ibe  Spirit  of  the  Father,  Eph.  iii.  i6.  the  Spirit  of 
tl:^  Son  or  of  Christ ;  Gal.  iv.  6.  Phil.  i.  19.  the  Spirit  Ji^bo- 
vah^  or  of  Jehovah  (which  is  just  the  same,  unless  it  can  be 
proved,  that  there  is  any  spirit  in  God,  which  is  not  biiiisclfj 
Is.  xi.  a.  et  aU  and  the  Spirit  Alehim  ;  Gen.  r.  2.  Being  es- 
sentially one  with  the  Father  and  the  Son^  he  cannot  be  a 
dift'erent  Spirit  from  them,  for  then  there  would  be  three 
Spirits  and  three  Essences  ;  but  he  is  essentially  one  and  the 
self-same  ^pirit^  dividing  his  gifts  according  to  his  will,  and 
inducing  faith  in  the  soiiis  of  his  people.  All  other  people  are 
called  sensucil^  not  having  the  Spirit,  which  is  explained  full 
further  by  their  having  no  hope  and  being  without  God  in  the 
*xorld. 

One  argument  more,  instead  of  a  multitude  which  might 
be  given,  shall  sufiice. 

Mai.  ii.  10.  Hath  not  one  God  created  us  P 
But  in  Eph.  iii.  9.  we  find,  that  God  (plainly  meaning  the 
Father  J  created  all  things:  In  Col.  i.  16.  that  Christ  crea- 
ted all  things  in  heaven^  earthy  &c.  And  in  Job  xxxiii.  4.  that 
the  Spirit  of  God  made  man  and  gave  him  life  ;  that  the 
same  Spirit  made  the  host  of  heaven^  in  Ps.  xxxiii.  6.  and 
in  Is.  xl.  13 — 17.  that  to  the  same  Spirit  (who  is  called 
God  V.   18.)  all  nations  are  as  nothing. 

Either,  therefore,  these  tliree  distinct  agents  are  but  one 
God;  aud  so  the  syllogism  is  perfect;  or,  there  are /ZTc-t? 
different  Creators  and  three  Gods,  which  proposition  will 
contradi6l  the  major^  and  many  other  texts  in  the  Bible. 

Thus  it  seems  very  fairly  to  appear  that  the  Huly  Spirit 
is  Jehovah  and  Alehim,  personally  and/jcr  se^  and  conse- 
quently the  objCvSl  of  praise  and  adoration  ;  and  that  in  an 
essential  conjundion  of  this  Holy  Spirit  with  the  Father  and 
Son,  who  likewise  are  personally  and  per  se  Jehovah  and 
Alehim,  there  is  one  only  true,  infinite,  everlasting,  in- 
comprehensible LORD  GOD;  by  whom,  and  from  whom  are 
all  things,  to  whom  be  glory  for  ever  and  ever,  Amen  I 

THAT  JKIiOVAIi,  therefore,  exists  in  three  persons,  is 
a  truth,  which  He,  who  only  could  know  it,  hath  been  pleas- 
ed to  reveal  in  his  word  :  But  it  may  be  an  everlasting  truth 
in  itself  and  yet  no  more  truth  to  us^  respcfling  our  comfort 
from  it,  than  it  is  to  fallen  angels,  or  the  ground  beneath  our 
{cct.     The  (jucsticn  then  occurs  j  "  What  interest  has  the- 


ALE  HIM,    OR    GOD.  43 

Eoul  of  a  believer  in  this  truth  of  a  Trinity^  and  of  the  Di- 
vine Personality  and  Self-existence  of  the  Holy  Ghost^ .?"  Ail 
divine  truth  hath  its  use  ;  and  the  more  clearly  it  shines  (and 
clearly  it  would  ever  shine  but  for  the  clouds  of  sin  and  cor- 
ruption,) the  more  comfortable  and  reviving.^ 

The  iirst  great  advantage,  v/hich  the  Christian  perceives 
10  belong  to  him,  in  this  doclrir.e  of  a  Trinity  is — the  cove- 
nanted, certain,  and  unchangeable  purpose  of  the  whole  God- 
head, both  in  establishing  the  iJieans^^  and  in  securing  the  endy 
of  his  etvirnal  salvation.  lie  perceives,  that  the  means  are 
equal  to  the  end,  and  that  tlie  end  must  be  the  result  of  the 
means  ;  because  the  great  agents,  who  use  the  m.eans,  are  di- 
vine and  inliiiite,  can  neither  be  mistaken  in  their  views,  nor 
be  disappointed  in  their  purposes.  JKifOVAii,  ^ho  faintetb 
not,  neither  is  wc^rjy,  is'  the  Alehlm,  and  is  engaged,  by  an 
everlasting  covenant  existing  in  his  divine  personality,  to 
create,  recover,  and  preserve,  the  souh  of  his  people.  No- 
thing, therefore,  can  arise  which  hath  not  hcen  foreseen  ;  no 
impediment  thrown  in  the  way,  which  was  uoi  foreknown  ; 
no  difficulty,  but  which  was  designed  to  be  overcome.  The 
great  sin  of  Adam^  that  fountain  from  which  innumerable 
streams  of  iniquity  have  overflowed  the  world,  hath  only 
rendered  this  covenant  more  illustrious,  by  proving,  that, 
where  sin  did  abound,  grace  could  much  more  abound,  and  that 
nothing,  which  concerned  the  happiness  or  misery  of  myriads 
of  souls  for  everlasting  ages,  is  too  hard  for  Jehovah,  It  is 
nat  too  hard  indeed  for  him  ;  but  it  v/ouid  be  infinitely  too 
bard  for  all  created  strength,  whether  In  earth  or  ^heaven. 
None  but  Jehovah  could  reconcile  to  Jehovah  :  None  but 
himself  had  either  will,  or  love,  or  power,  to  accomplish  the 
reconciliation.  This  certainty  -^ni^  perfect  ordiiiation,  then, 
of  the  everlastieg  covenant,  is  a  ground  of  great  consolation 
to  all^  who,  through  faith,  have  an  interest  in  it.  It  is  a  con- 
solation, which  they  TiHQ  privileged,  invited,  and  commanded 
to  take  ;  that  God  may  be  gloritied  in  the  felicity  of  his  cho- 
sen, even  in  the  presence  of  this  miserable  world.  If  the 
Father  hath  determined  to  love  ;  if  the  Son  hath  completely 
^redeemed ;  if  the  Holy  Spirit  hath  begun  to  bless  ;  if  thus  the 
Ar.EHiji  in  Jehovah,  the  three  persons  in  one  Essence ;  or 
Jehovah  Alehim,  the  unity  in  the  trinity  ;  are  engaged  for 
his  people's  happiness  and  salvation  :  What  men,  what 
devils,  what  'height,  vv^hat  depth,  v^hat  other  creature,  or 
v/hat  creatures  all  together,  can  frustrate  his  design,  extin- 
guish his  love,  and  resist  the  eternal  impressions  of  his  pow- 
er! O  could  believers  see,  on  what  a  rock  oj  eternity  their 
hope  and  all  their  eternal  concerns  are  divinely  built;  they 
would  blush  for  shame  at  those  fruitless  anxieties,  those 
foolish  vexations,  by  v/hich  they  are   too  often  engrossed, 


44  A  L  E  H  I  M,    o  R     G  O  D. 

through  thii  momentaiy  scene,  and  by  which  they  at  once  so 
frequently  dishonor  the  cause  of  religion,  and  disgrace  them- 
selves in  the  sight  of  a  watchful  world!  They  would  blush  a- 
gain  to  think,  that  the  miserable  slaves  of  lust  and  hell 
siiould  pretend  to  talk  of  more  happiness,  than  the  children  of 
the  kingdom.,  who  arc  privileged  to  have  God's  perfect  peace 
in  their  hearts,  and  are  born  for  his  eternal  ^z-s^cq  in  heaven. 

Another  comfort,  which  the  believer  hath  a  right  to  draw 
from  these  truths,  is,  that  having  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit  in 
his  soul,  first  in  quickening  from  the  death  of  stUf  and  then 
working  faith,  hope,  ana  love  towards  Christ ;  he  is  privileg- 
ed to  receive  some  degree  oi  assurance  from  the  word  of  God^ 
in  proportion  to  the  evidence  of  this  earnest  from  the  Spirit 
of  Gcd,  that  He,  who  hath  begun  the  good  work,  will  carry 
it  on  to  perfection.  The  written  word  declares  the  divinity 
of  this  spiritual  agent;  and  this  agent  brings  the  heart  to 
the  word,  by  v.hich  he  gives  his  own  divine  pers-uason  ;  so 
that  the  believer  can  s^y,  "  i  set  to  my  seal  upon  God's  re- 
vealed truth,  and  I  am  enabled  to  do  it  by  the  grace  of  God's 
enlightening  Spirit  :  Upon  this  united  tesiirnony  in  my  be- 
hair,  I  believe,  that  G.<l's  love  cannot  yi^/V,  but  that  I  am 
saved  in  jeKovah  ^.:nth  an  everlasting  salvation.'''* 

Come,  believer ;  hast  thou  a  right  to  this  language ;  and 
arc  these  thy  privileges;  and  wilt  thou,  then,  being  the 
King's  son.)  go  sad  diW  thy  days  ?  A  stranger.,  indeed  intermed- 
dletb  not  nvith  the  Joy  of  God's  heritage  ;  but  thou  art  nv 
stranger  any  more  ;  thou  hast  an  unalienable  claim  to  the 
choicest  de-ighL^of  thy  Father's  house,  and  art  more  wel- 
come to  er.joy  them  all,  than  to  pass  by  the  least  of  them. 
Thou  art  not'straitencd  in  iiim  at  any  time  ;  but  only  in  thine 
c^n  bcivels.  In  thysefongiudtes  every  cause  of  complaint ; 
not  in  thy  raerci'^ul  Lord.  Thou  canst  not  exhaust  an  infi- 
nite ocean  of  everlasting  good ;  but  thou  mayest,  as  all  too 
often  do,  shut  thine  own  mouth,  and  taste  for  a  time  not  a 
drop  of  it.  0  the  depth  of  unbelief  I  may  we  all  cry,  as  well 
as,  0  the  depth  of  the  riajes  of  G-)d !  If  tnis  deep  did  not  an- 
svcer  to  the'  othei ,  and  confound  it ;  the  strongest  believer 
i-  the  world  would  not  swim  long  upon  th-  surface,  but  must 
be  swallowed  up  in  the  dismal  aibyss.  And  yet,  if  the  eye-  be 
but  opened,  and  the  heart  graciously  enlarged  ;  he^re  is  enough 
and  to  spare  of  mercy,  love,  and  faithfulness  in  God,  an  infi- 
nite abundance  of  s'uclr  durable  riches  as  are  commensurate 
with  the  existence  of  God  himsddf,  and  flow  incessantly  from 
his  fullness.  If  our  harps  were  but  in  constant  tune  ;  that  is, 
if  our  spirits  vv^eve  but  in  purer  harmony,  or  more  cxa6l  uni- 
son with  God  the  Spirit ;  we  should  feel  as  well  as  utter  tho- 
PsLilmist's  fervent   song,   which    that    Spirit  inspired;    horn 


A  L  E  H  I  M,    o  R    G  O  D.  45 

great  is  tby  goodness  ivbicb  tbou  bast  laid  up^  for  tbcDi  tbat 
trust  in  tbee^  before  tbe  sons  of  men  / — O  love  Jehovah  all  yc 
bis  saints:  ]-euov ak  preservetb  tbe faitbful^  and  completetb 
<iuitb  exaltation  biin  tbat  doetb  excellently. '[  Be  of  good  cou- 
rage^ and  be  sball  strengthen  your  beart^  all  ye  tbat  bope  in 
Jehovah  !  Psalm  xxxi.  19,  23,  24. 

Afflicled  Christian  ;  thou,  who  art  tossed  and  exagltated 
either  in  body  or  in  mind,  and  often  in  both:  Here  is  com- 
fort, rich  comfort,  and  everlasting  consolation,  for  thee  ? 
Thou,  indeed,  art  writing  bitter  tbings  against  tbyself:  and 
bitter  things  most  truly  may  be  written  of  thee:  Thou  canst 
not  set  down  a  thousandth  part  of  the  evil,  which  exists  in 
thy  heart,  and  which  halh  polluted  thee  before  God,  through 
every  day  of  thy  life.  If  the  world  did  not  complain  of  thee  ; 
if  thy  friends  did  not  murmur  j  if  perhaps  the  very  partner  of 
thy  cares,  who  should  be  as  thy  riglu-hand,  did  not  concur  to 
annoy:  The  sense  of  thy  own  sinfulness,  v/eakness,  unpro- 
fitableness, and  deserts,  would  be  sufficient  in  the  band  of  the 
enemy,  to  harrass  and  perplex  thy  wearied  soul.  But,  fear 
not,  thou  miserable  worm.  Take  thine  eyes  from  the  earth, 
and  look  upward.  I.ook,  with  the  Bible  in  thine  hand,  up- 
wards to  Kim,  who  sent  it  down,  in  pity  and  grace,  to  just 
such  miserable  Vvrorms  as  thou  art.  All  thy  fellow-creatures 
have  cause  for  the  worst  of  thy  feelings  ;  and,  if  mercy  had 
opened  their  eyes,  their  hearts  for  a  time  would  ache,  and 
mourn,  and  droop,  even  as  thine.  Thou  art  alive  ;  therefore 
thou  canst  feel:  The  dead  in  body  have  no  sensations  ;  nor 
have  the  dead  in  soul.  Ask  for  a  ray  of  this  Spihit  to  illu- 
minate thy  mind,  while  thou  r<iadest  his  holy  book,  that  his 
promises,  his  exceeding  great  and  precious  projiiises^  may  not 
be  passed  over  unnoticed,  but  stand  like  so  many  angels  ia 
the  way  to  point  thee  to  rest,  and  to  thy  best  good  hops 
through  grace.  Reading  by  his  light,  thou  wiit  find  (and  O 
that  thou  mayest  find  it  to  thy  unspeakable  joy!)  that  there 
is  not  one  harsh  word,  not  one  severe  denial,  to  the  weakest, 
the  poorest,  the  worst  returning  sinner,  who  longs  for  mercy 
because  he  sees  his  want  of  it.  On  tlie  contrary,  just  such  as 
Vol.  II.  G 

*  n::?*}  hidden ;  i.  e.  from  the  world,  Hence  Gcd's  wisdom  is 
called  mystery  or  hidden  nvisdom^  his  people  are  termed  hidden  ones, 
and  their  life  is  said  to  be  kid  with  Christ  in  God.  The  ivorld  knoxD- 
eth  us  not  (saith  the  apohtle)  because  it  kntiv  him  not, 

t  To  render  this  clause  in  a  good  sense,  seems  more  agreeable 
to  the  context  which  is  addressed  to  God's  people,  than  the  common 
and  other  versions  which  have  followed  the  Ixx.  The  Psalmist  is 
proposing  motives  of  comfort ;  and  certainly  it  is  a  greater  cause  of 
joy  to  the  faithful,  that  y^Aot'cA  vf\\\  complete  their  salvation,  than 
that  he  will  revjard  a  proud  doer^  which  is  no  part  of  that  salvation.. 


46  A  L  E  H  I  i\l>    o  Rx  G  O  ID. 

thou  art  (behold  thyself  as  vile  as  thou  tanst,)  are  welccwn* 
only  to  Jesus  ;  and  for  these  poor,  halt,  niaJraed,  and  blind, 
is  the  rich  feast  of  the  kingdom  prepared.  These  tliy  Sov- 
ereign Lord  filkih  ivitb  good  things  :  The  rich  alone,  those 
who  conceit  themselves  to  be  ruil  and  increa-.ed,  He  senlcib 
empiy  avoa\).  If  thoa  seesc  thy  need  of  God's  mercy;  it  is 
because  God  hath  already  ii:^d  mercy  upon  thee.  Trust  in 
nini,  therefore,  and  implore  the  gracious  power  of  his  omni- 
potent Spirit;  thou  slialt  then  lind,  that,  his  owii  faithful- 
ness-.to  iiis  word  siiall  keep  thee  from  falling,  and  in  the  best 
time  relieve  thee  from  all  thy  impressions  of  sorrow.  Live 
Kpon  this  promise,  and  soon  shalt  thou  have  it  fulfilled  :  If 
ye^  berdg  ev'il^  know  bow  to  give  good  gifts  unto  your  cbildr(;n: 
J;o\v  much  more  shall  your  heavenly  Fatbar  give  the  Holy 
'Spirit  to  them  that  ask  bim?  Ask,  and  receive  :  Seek,  and 
thou  shalt  freely  obtain. 


ip"   --  "  ■ -  *^' 


ing  ground  of  hope.  He  hath,  indeed,  a  strong  Lord,  and 
one  as  wise  as  he  is  strong,  and  present  as  he  is  \'/ise.  No- 
thing, concerning  his  people,  escapes  his  notice  ;  and  all  their 
holy  cares  are  his  own,  and  his  own  to  relieve  or  fulfil  them. 
O  what  a  klR-i  benefactor  have  v^'e,  v^ho  are  saved  by  his  grace! 
He  saw  us  in  on:"  sins,  and  had  mercy  upon  us,  nay,  loved  us, 
when  we  v/ere  ab.^minable  and  deformed  :  He  loved  us  to  pu- 
rify us  from  our  aboruinaLions,  and  to  deck  us  with  the  beau- 
ty of  his  holiness.:  After  all  this  cost  and  concern,  shall  he 
cease  to  love  us,  and  be  gracious  \  Shall  h-is  hand  stop  its 
bountv,  or  his  heart  refrain  to  love?  He  might  cease  to  love 
us,  if  his  motives  of  regard  arose  from  our  faithfulness  or 
worth  ;  but  standing,  as  they  do,  upon  his  own  sublime  be- 
jievolence  ;  fixed,  as  c'ley  are,  upon  the  rock  of  ages;  and  a- 
rising,  as  they  have  dor.e  through  all  eternity,  fioin  an  irre- 
vocable covenant  cf  everlasting  trutii.:  The  i''.3/.6t?r  must 
lose  his  paternal  affeflion,  the  Son  all  the  merit  of  his  suffer- 
ing and  obedience,  the  Holy  Spirit  hi's  operation  and  eifcv^t, 
and  the  whole  Godhead  change  or  cease  to  be  ;  e'er  we,  who 
are  brouglitinto  the  bond  cf  Ir.s  covenant  and  have  cast  our 
souls  upon  it,  can  be  lost  after  all  and  i:i'.^k  into  perdiiion. 
This  is  our  privilege,  to  know  that  we  have  an  unchangeable 
Gcd^  and  that,  only  through  him,  v/e  are  kept  unchangeable 
too.  In  this  view,  w^e  are  made  both  happy  and  holy  at  once: 
Happy,  because  we  are  safe  in  our  God  ;  and  holy  in  him,  be- 
cause we  are  led  to  depend  upon  him,  and  to  receive  out  of 
his  fullness  grace  for  grace.  This  grace  is  the  ])ledge  of  our 
interest  in  the  covenar.t,  and  cannot  be  abused.  Men  may 
pervert  the  notion,  but  they  cannot  corrupt  tlie  thing;  for 
the  possession  of  the  pledge  will  always   spur  the  diligence, 


A  L  E  H  I  M,    o  R     G  O  D.  47 

holiness,  and  hope;  of 'dicse,  on  whom  God  Lath  been  pleased 
to  confer  it. 

And  how  doth  it  fill  t.-very  gracious  hciui  with  wonder  and 
joy,  that  Gcd  should  he  pleasef'  to  dw».  i!  thus  in  very  deed 
ivitb^nan!  2;  Chron.  vi.  iS.  Thai  he  siiould  have  thougl-ts 
of  love  and  coraplacency  for  siriners,  traitors,  and  rebels! 
"  Next  to  the  love  of  Christ,  (said  a  <',ood  inan)  in  tak- 
ings; our  nature,  we  may  wonder  at  thj  love  of  the  Spirit,  in 
taking  up  his  rtsidenc;;  in  such  de'i.od  souls,  and  turnin?;  a 
dungeon  into  a  temple,  a  pris(j.  into  d  !>aradise,  yea,  an  hell 
into  an  heaven."  And  in  another  ]dac  %  he  adds,  ^'  to  make  so 
little  grace  so  vidlorious  over  so  greai  a  rnas:-  of  corruption  ; 
this  requireth  a  spirit  more  than  huin^n  ;  this  is  to  preserve 
fire  as  in  the  set,  and  a  part  o{  heaven  as  it  were  in  hell. 
lieie  we  know  vvhere  to  have  this  power,  and  to  w^hom  to  re- 
turn the  praise  of  it.'**'  It  is  matter  of  wonder  upon  earth  to 
every  believer,  that  God  sboula  have  mercy  upon  him  ^  and 
he  is  ever  ready  to  ask,  ''  Why  nie^  Loud,  w.6y  me  ^  Who  am 
/,  and  wbai  is  my  father^ s  bouse^  that  thou  bast  brought 
me  hitbertcf  I  deserved  nothing  but  heli ;  and  thou  hasi  plac- 
ed me  in  the  full  viev/  of  heaven  !  I  sought  death  in  the  error 
cf  mv  life  ;  and  thou  hast  given  me  hopes  of  life  everlast- 
ing !" — And  it  is  a  matter  of  wonder,  and  will  always  be  a 
matter  of  v/onder  in  hesrven  itstdf:  The  very  angels  desire  to 
pry  into  it.  The  love  of  their  Maker  is  so  deep,  that,  though 
they/?/");,  the  cannot  see  to  its  bottom:  It  is  too  vast  and 
profound  for  even  the  capacious  and  subtle  intelle6l  of  an- 
gels. The  vforld  above  is  full  of  rapturous  astonishment,  and 
admires  the  love,  which  was  flronger  tiian  death,  and  the 
pity,  which  encountered  rebellion  to  save.  All  heaven  ex- 
ults in  the  eiTusion  of  unbounded  nrercy,  and  welcomes  the 
sinner,  the  reclaimed,  the  pardoned,  the  exalted  sinner,  to 
his  mansion  of  peace.  And  heaven  sees  and  owns,  that  the 
v/hole  is  everlasting  grace,  and  that  its  lowest  tribute  is  ever- 
lasting glory.  Let  us  join,  beloved  souls,  let  us  join  this  de- 
lighted, this  majestic  throngs  in  pouring  forth  the  richest 
praise  of  our  souls  for  benignity  and  blessings  of  grace 
Sfiowered  down,  not  upon  them  but  on  us.  Shall  they  there- 
fore triumph  with  transport  for  us  ?  And  shall  not  iv<r  join 
with  them  to  acclaim  aloud  for  ciirsehes  ^  Shall  human  hearts 
be  dull  ;  when  for  these  very  hearts  all  heaven  is  fail  of  joy  ! 
— O  forbid  it  mercy,  truth,  and  love  divine  I — Come,  thou 
:,^racious  Spirit,  for  thou  ojdy  canst  inspire  tliankfulness  and 
praise;  come  and  inspire  them  into  every  believing  soul !  O 
fill   us   with   the  seiise  of  that   faithfulness    and  trwth,  which 

*Dr.  SiBny.s  in  his  5rM/5^c?  Reed;  one  of  the  mogt  comfortable 
books  of  practical  divinity,  in  our  iangua^^'c,  for  rnournin?^  and  af- 
{^.icted  Christians.  His  Fountain  Sealed  is  another  excellent  work, 
and  written  in  a  style  above  his  time. 


48  A     D     O     N    A     I. 

stooped  so  low  from  heaven,  only  for  the  purpose  of  leading 
us  thither  ;  nor  let  us  dishonor  such  unmerited  bounty,  either 
by  living  witbout  its  power,  or  beneath  its  dignity  and  our 
own  !  Thou  hast  exalted  us  by  grace  ;  suffer  us  not  to  debase 
and  degrade  ourselves  by  sin  :  But  complete,  O  complete,  in 
ihy  glory  all  thy  promises  concerning  us,  and  our  everlast- 
ing relation  unto  thee  I  Then,  with  unabating  ardor,  shall 
v/c  join  the  innumerable  hosts  above,  and  shout,  as  they 
shout  for  ever  ;  Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  Almighty, 
"ejbo  'ivasf^  and  arty  and  art  '.o  come: — Thou  art  'worthy ^  O 
Lord  to  receive  glory  ^  and  honor ^  andpotver  /  for  Tnou  hast 
created  all  things  ^  and  for  thy  pleasure  they  are  and 'were  crea^r 
tcdl  Even  so:  Amen, 


A     D     O     N     A     I. 


THE  sense  of  this  title  hath  been  explained  in  the  former 
volume,  in  which  it  was  observed,  that  our  translators 
have  usually  rendered  it  by  the  word  Lord^  and  printed  it  in 
common  or  small  chara61ers,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  word 
Jehovah,  which  also  they  have  rendered  Lord,  but  have 
placed  it  in  Roman  capitals,  But  though  this  rendering  has 
been  adopted  by  them  in  imitation  of  other  translators  ;  the 
sense  of  the  two  words  Jehovah  and  Adonai  is  much  more  re-r 
mote  from  each  other  than  their  sound. 

As  this  title  is  applied  to  Christ  in  almost  every  page  of 
the  Bible,  because  he  is  the  ruler  and  disposer^  the  basis  and 
support  oiVi'i^  redeemed;  so  is  it  addressed  to  God  the  Holy 
Ghcsty  f9r  the  very  same  reason.  If  Christ  and  the  Spirit 
were  not  persons  in  the  Godhead;  this  title  would  be  used, 
to  convey/  the  idea  of  their  respective  offices  and  power  in  re- 
demption and  regeneration,  improperly  and  falsely  ;  and,  con- 
sequently, the  book  of  God  v/ould  not  be  the  record  of  truth. 
But  as  this  is  impossible,  it  v/ill  follov/,  that  the  application 
cf  this  name,  in  its  spiritual  intention,  is  an  argument  or  proof 
of  the  divinity  of  the  second  and  third  persons  in  tlic  Trinity; 
and,  tlierefore,  all  tliat  will  remain  under  this  head,  is  to 
prove,  that  this  application  hath  been  made,  and  made  by 
God  liimself.  That  Christ  is  so  denominated,  we  have  al- 
ready proved ;  and  that  the  Spirit  claims  the  same  title,  it  13 
the  further  purpose  of  this  Essay  to  shev/. 

It  is  the  office  of  the  Spirit  to  reveal  the  mind,  the  will, 
and  tlie  things  of  God.  This  the  apcstle  fully  declares  in 
I  Cor.  xii.  and  asserts  that  whatever  gifts,  ministrations,  or 
operations,  arc  enjoyed  by  or  wrought  in  the  people  of  God, 


A     D     O     N     A     I.  49 

^whether  -wisdom,  knowledge,  faith,  the  power  of  healing,  mi- 
racles, prophesy,  discernment  of  spirits,  possession  and  inter- 
pretation of  tongues  ;  tbey  are  all  worked  by  one  and  the  self- 
same Spirit,  'vjbo  dhideth  to  every  man  severally  as  He  w///. 
For  this  reason,  among  other  names,  the  same  apostle  styles, 
him  the  Spirit  of  Revelation^  (E\)h,  i.  17.)  because,  without 
him,  was  no  revelation  given  to  man  :  And,  when  he  says, 
in  another  place,  that  to  God's  people  are  revealed  the  things 
which  eye  baib  not  seen^  nor  ear  beard^  neitber  bave  entered 
into  tbe  beart  of  man^  but  wbicb  God  batb  prepared  for  them 
that  love  bim  ;  he  immediately  adds,  thzt  God  batb  revealed 
these  things  to  them  by  bis  Spirit  ;  for  tbe  Spirit  (and  only 
the  Spirit)  searcbetb  all  tbings^  yea^  tbe  deep  tbings  of  God, 
I  Cor.  ii.  9.  &c^  To  this  purpose  speaks  another  aposile  : 
Tbe propbecy  came  not  in  old  time^  or  at  any  time,  by  tbe  vnll 
of  man  ;  but  boly  men  of  God  spake  as  tbey  ivere  moved  by  tbe 
Holy  Gbost,  2  Pet.  i.  21.  All  this  taken  together  proves, 
rthat  the  Spirit  is  the  immediate  agent  of  all  prophecy  and  re- 
velation ;  that  he  didated  the  written  word;  and  that  the 
mind  of  Jehovah  hath  at  all  times  been  manifested  and 
Jinown  by  his  inspiration  alone.  This  proposition  of  itself 
might  sulEce  to  prove  his  divinity  :  The  following  Scriptures, 
by  way  of  assumption,  do  fully  confirm  it. 

Isaiah  xxii.  14.  It  was  revealed  in  mine  ears  by  Jehovah 
Sabaoth  ;  surely,  &c.  saith  Adonai  Jehovah  Sabaoth. 
Amos.  iii.  7,  3,  Surely^  Adonai  Jehovah  will  do  nothings 
but  be  RVEALETH  bis  secret  unto  bis  servants  tbe  propbets, 
Tbe  lion  batb  roared^  wbo  can  but  fear  ?  Adonai  Jehovah 
Joatb  spoken^  wbo  can  but  prophesy  ^  iv,  18.  He — tbat  be- 
CLARETH  unto  man  wbat  is  bis  tbougbt^-^-]Eiiov au.  tbe  God 
of  Hosts  is  bis  name. 

The  Spirit,  therefore,  who  revealetb  according  to  these 
words,  15  the  God  of  Hosts,  Jehovah  Sabaoth,  and  Ado- 
nai Jehovah  Sabaoth: — The  great  characters,  and  pecu- 
liar titles  of  the  Most:  High. 

The  following  text  is  an  argument,  for  this  truth,  of  itself. 

Ezek.  viii.  i.  Tbe  band  (or  power)  c/ Adonai  Jehovah 
fell  tbere  upon  me,.  In  the  third  verse  he  explains  who  this 
was,  for  he  says  that  the  Spirit  lift  me  iip^  &c.  end  brougbt 
■me  in  tbe  visions  of  .God  to  Jerusalem.  In  the  conclusion 
of  this,  ,and  in  the  succeeding  chapters,  we  shall  find,  that 
the  same  Spirit  attends  the  prophet  throughout  the  vision  ; 
and  that,  in  Chap.  ix.  8.  the  prophet  falls  down  upon  his  face, 
and  invokes  him,  by  the  title  of  Adonai  Jcliovah,  whicli  title 
is  repeated  to  hini,  with  other  titles  of  the  highest  import,  in 
the  continuation  of  the  prophecy.  The  Spirit,  therefore, 
is  Adonai  Jehovah. 

Pne  argument  more  shall  serve  ;  for  as  ilie  word  Adonai^ 


50  A    D    O    N    A     I. 

in  the  connection  with  the  name  Jehovah,  is  not  and  cannot 
be  applied  to  any  creature  ;  so  u  it  be  but  once  found  in  that 
connection  and  thus  applied  to  the  Spirit,  it  will  sulficiently 
prove  his  right  both  to  that,  and  to  ail  other  essential  titles 
cf  the  Deity. 

Isaiah  Ixi.  i.  Tov  Spirit  of  Adojiai  yehcvah  is  upon  me  ; 
bccaus'!!  jfbovab  hach  anointed  me^  &c.  Now  if  the  Spirit  of 
Adonal  jtlovab^  or  the  Spirit  of  God  be  different  from  Jeho- 
vah hivdsef ;  there  is  something  in  the  nature  or  God,  which 
is  not  God.  It  is  of  no  importance  what  that  son.ething  be  ; 
for  if  it  be  not  truly  and  essentially  God,  it  must  necessarily 
be  a  creature  :  And  then  it  will  foliov/,  that  God  had  no  Spi- 
viu  of  his  own.  oi  that  there  was, no  Spirit  oi  God,  till  it  was 
created.  Take  it  in  another  view.  IF  there  be  something 
in  God,  Vv^hich  is  not  God,  in  tru:h  and  essence  ;  then  the 
Deitv  is  not  a  pure,  simple  uncompounded  being,  but  compo- 
sed of  pans  ;'  v/hich  parts  are,  from  a  necessity  of  nature,  li- 
mited, finite,  and  various,  because  nothing  bur,  a  whole  or  u- 
liity  can  be  infinite,  unbounded,  and  eternal.  This  notion, 
therefore,  is  not  only  repugnant  to  the  Bible,  but  even  to  the 
first  principles  of  common  sense.  Take  it  in  a  third  form. 
If  theit  be  any  being  in  God,  or  of  God,  which  is  not  truly 
God,  or  iwhat  amounis  to  the  same)  is  inferior  in  any  respecl 
to  any  person  in  the  Godhead  ;  then  it  is  impossible  to  avoid 
the  inference,  that  there  are  either  more  Gods  than  one^  or 
that  there  is  an  existence  in  God,  which  is  not  co-essential 
with  his  nature,  and  consequently  not  of  it.  The  first  branch 
of  this  dilemma  contradi6ls  one  of  the  most  express  truths  in 
the  Bible,  and  is  evident  PoJytbtism,  Deut.  vi.  4.  The  other 
(as  v/as  before  observed)  militates  against  the  simplicity  of 
the  divine  nature,  which,  being  one  and  therefore  uncom- 
pounded, admits  of  nothing  heterogeneous  or  additional. 
— As  all  these  interpretations  of  this  and  such  like  texts, 
then,  are  obviously  erroneous  and  absurd,  both  contrary 
to  the  revealed  word,  and  contradictory  to  every  idea 
vv'hich  man  hath  been  tauglit  therein  to  form  of  the  nature  of 
divine  tilings  ;  it  is  both  wise  and  safe  to  reject  them,  and  to 
follow  only  the  declarations  of  Him,  who  can  neither  deceive 
nor  be  deceived  in  this  matter.  If  the  Father  and  the  Son 
are  one  (as  Christ  himself  declares;  and  if  there  be  but  one 
Spirit^  who  likewise  with  the  Father  and  the  S^n  is  one  God- 
head ;  as  the  Scriptures  expressly  determine,  from  his  own 
divine  authority  ;  we  n^ay  be  as  sure  of  this,  as  of  any  other 
revealed  truth,  that  fehovah  and  the  Spirit  of  Jehovah  can 
be  ONE  only  in  one  undivided  Essence^  however  tliey  may  be 
distinguislied  in  respecl  oi  person.  Nor  would  it  have  been 
any  force  upon  the  originul,  if  it  liad  been  translated,  as  some 
learned  men  do  translate  it,  the  Spirit  Adonai  fehovah^  with- 


A     D    O     N     A     I.  51 

out  the  particle  6j^;  becaus  whatever  can  be  predlcaicd  of 
C^od,  //  God  himself.  To  this  may  be  added,  that,  when  v/e 
say  th.e  Spirit  or  a  vian^  nobody  understands  by  the  phrase 
an)' thing  in  a  man  diiFerent  from  his  being,  but  rather  v/kat 
is  entirelv  essential  to  it,  and  without  which  he  doth  not 
exist  at  ail.  And  in  like  manner  (lor  it  is  an  apostle  wha 
draws  thii  very  comparison,  i  Cor.  ii.  i  i.)  when  the  Scrip- 
tures mention  the  Spirit  of  God,  tindty  certaiidy  mean  God 
the  Spirit,  who  only  knov/etli,  accordino-  to  ths  truth  or 
mode  of  their  existence,  the  things  of  God  ;  because  he  only 
saarcheth  all  things^  yca^  the  deep  things  (or  the  profound)  of 
God.  When  God  anointed  Jesus  of  Nazaretb  vjith  the  HoLi'" 
Ghost  and  ivith power  (v/hich  is  the  apostle  Peter'' s  exposition 
of  the  text  from  Isaiah  J  ;  he  means  evidently  what  St.  Paul 
expresses 'by,  Godu^as  in  in  Christ  (^i  Cor.  v.  29.),  that  is, 
God  the  Spirit,  vv^'iio  formed  and  endued  his  human  nature  in 
tlie  virgin's  v/omb,  and  to  who.n  only  all  power  can  belong: 
And  that  it  doth  mean  this,  is  further  evident  by  what  St. 
Peter  immediately  adds,  in  the  above  text  o^  Acts,  x.  38. — 
be  luent  about  doing  good^  and  healing  alt  that  ^ivere  oppressed 
with  the  djvil ;  for  God  was  with  him.  Thus,  God bein^  with 
bi-in^  acording  to  the  apostle^  is  tantamouLit  to  the  Spirit  Ado- 
7iai  Jehovah  being  upon  him  (or  v/ith  hiin,  as  the  particla  h'j 
might  have  been  rendered],  according  to  the  prophet  ■  And  so 
the  prediction  is  completed,  but  m  no  otiicr  sense  can  be  com- 
pleted. See  also  Luke  iv.  i&;  wliere  our  Lord  claims  the  ac- 
complishment of  this  prophcxy  in  himself. 

It  seems  then  fairly  and  clearly  proved  from  the  Scrip- 
tures, which  alone  are  competent  to  give  evidence  in  this 
cause,  tha'c  the  Spirit  of  Adonai  Jehovah  is  neither  more  nor 
less  than  Adonai  Jehovah  himself,  and  is  consequently  pos- 
sessed of  every  divine  attribute  andperfe<5lion  in  conjunijlion 
with  the  Father  and  the  Son^  wlio,  according  to  their  Essence 
and  -xs  persons  in  the  Essence,  have  called  themselves  bv  this 
very  name.  The  name  indeed  does  not  express  how  thev  ex- 
ist in  that  Essence,  for  no  words  can  express  or  thoughts 
conceive  an  infinite  nature  ;  but  it  conveys  a  notice  to  his 
people,  that  the  Trinity  in  unity  is  the  Adonai^  not  for  their 
speculation,  but  for  their  faith  and  s.alvation. 

What  then,  may  we  ask,  is  the  mind  of  the  Spirit^  in  tak- 
ing this  name  upon  himself  ?  For  God  doth  not  take  names 
and  use  words  in  an  arbitary  manner,  without  any  connection 
with  some  do6\rine  or  sense,  as  men  too  often  do  ;  but  speaks, 
as  well  as  acSls,  with  truth  and  precision.  It  is  right,  there- 
fore, to  enquire,  what  doctrine  the  Holy  Ghost  would  convey 
to  cur  understandings  by  this  denomination,  and  what  pracli- 
cal  usc'is  to  be  made  of  it  by  the  grace  of  faith  in  our  souls. 
His  doctrines   cannot  be  mere  notions  or  opinions,  but   must 


53  A     D     O     N     A     I. 

have   an  important  relation  to  the  welfare  and   happiness  of 
his  people. 

As  he  is  the  divine  agent  of  the  nciv  creation,  the  "  Lord 
and  Giver  of  life,"  the  teacher  and  preserver  of  the  redeem- 
ed ;  this  blessed  Spirit  becames  their  gracious  Adonai,  the 
Jbin^-e  on  which  they  move,  the  i>asis  on  which  they  stand.  If 
He  were  not  true  and  very  God;  He  could  not  ^c  what  He 
calls  himself  to  them  ;.  nor  do  what  He  promised  to  da  for 
them:  Nay,  it  would  be  rank  and  abominable  idolatry  in 
them,  to  expe6lin  that  case,  any  such  blessings  of  him.  They 
ought  not,  they  dare  not,  depend  for  life,  peace,  and  salva- 
tion upon  a  creature  :  And  they  would  not,  if  they  might ;  be- 
cause they  are  privileged  to  rest  upon  the  everlasthig  anns^ 
and  to  stay  themselves  upon  tbelr  God  They  could  not  en- 
dure such  insuiferable  nonsense  and  blasphemy,  as  would  di- 
re6l  them  to  a  finite  or  dependent  being,  for  the  creation  of 
their  spiritual  and  eternal  life,  and  for  the  bestownient  and 
maintenance  of  that  life  to  them  in  the  world,  where  every 
being,  but  the  divine,  receives  all  it  has  for  itself  from  the 
merest  grace  and  bounty.  Nor  will  they,  while  they  follow 
God's  v;ord,  build  upon  any  foundation,  but  v/hat  he  himself 
hath  laid.  On  th^  contrary,  they  are  both  taught  by  th:s 
Holy  Sinr'it  (accordi-ng  to  the  promise,  that  tbcy  shall  all  be 
taught  of  GoY))^  2Lnd  are  directed  by  his  holy  and  infallible 
word  to  look  unto  Jehovah  alone  not  only  for  salvation  at 
large,  but  for€very  branch  of  salvation.— Are  ihty  dead  in 
Sin  P  He  is  the  Spirit  that  quickeneth.  Do  they  want 
strength  ?  their  strength  is  in  Jehovah  Sabaoth  their  Ale- 
him,  (Zcch.  xii.  5.)  yea,  they  have  everlasting  strength  in 
Jfimy  vjho  strengthenetb  them  "ivith  might  indeed,  by  />// Spirit 
in  the  inner  man.  Do  tney  need  grace  ?  He  is  the  Spirit  of 
grace  to  bestow  grace,  and  even  the  Spirit  of  supplication 
enabling  them  to  ask  for  the  bestov/al.  Seek  they  for  com- 
fort and  peace  in  their  souls  ?  He  is  the  God  of  all  comfort^ 
and  that  blessed  Jehovah^  who  ordains,  decrees,  or  deter- 
mines,/;<?<7  6' (?ybr  tbejn^  and  tuor/h  all  their  works  in  tbefn.  Is. 
xxvi,  12.  Are  they  sensible  of  their  blindness  and  ignorance, 
and  do  they  wish  to  be  led  into  alltrntb  ?  He  is  the  very  Spi- 
rit  of  'Oiisdom^  not  only  to  give,  but  to  seal  instruction.  His 
word,  enlightened  by  his  power,  clears  away  the  mental 
darkness  of  our  nature,  and  affords  the  convinceil  sinner  an 
understanding  that  is  true — even  a  right  understanding  in  all 
things.  ])o  thev  hope  for  viclory  over  death  ?  He  is  the 
Spirit  of  life  itself,  who  bears  up  his  people's  hearts  beyond 
that  last  great  enemy  of  man  ;  and  he  so  swallows  him  up  in 
victory^  that  death  is  no  more  death  to  shem,  but  the  blessed 
harbinger  of  life  eternal.  Look  they  for  glory  ?  This  Spirit 
Adon.ii  is  also  the  Spirit  of  glory  ;  nor  v/iil  he  leave  one  of 


A    D    0    N    A    I.  s^ 

his  people,  till  he  hath  brought  them  to  the  full  possession  of 
glory,  bo7ior,  and  immortality.  And  then  not  one  of  them 
can  leave  him  :  For  they  shall  be  in  God,  and  God  will  be  c- 
ver  in  them  :  They  shall  be  one  with  Christ  in  the  com- 
munion of  this  Spirit,  and  shall  bless  the  favor,  love  and  mer- 
cy of  a  tnune  Jcbovab,  world  without  end. 

From  all  this,  fully  supported  as  it   is  by  the  divine  testi- 
mony of  the  written   word,  let  the    Christian,  let  any  man 
judge,    If  so  high  and  gracious  an  agent,  capable  of  perform- 
ing  such  subhme,  such  omnipotent,  infinite,  eternal,  and  om- 
nipresent aasin  and  for  the  redeemed,  can  possibly  be  inferi- 
or  to  Jehovah  himself,  or  any  other  than  Jehovah  f     They 
who  can  suppose    such   an   inferiority,  either  know  not   or 
consider  not  the  nature   of  these  operations,  and  so    conse- 
quently, «or  knowing  the  Scriptures  nor  the  povjer  of  God    a- 
scribe  those  things  to  created  might,  which   are  inconsistent 
with  such  a  might,  and  of  which  God  in  his  word  hath  taken 
a  peculiar  care,  that  they  shall  not  be  ascribed  to  it.  Hence 
besides  a   thousand  passages  of  Scripture  which  direaiy  se-' 
cure  to  himself  all  the  efficacy  and  glory  in  the  work  o'f  sal- 
vation, his  very  names,  which  he   hath   revealed  himself  by 
and  this    name   Adonai  among  the  rest,  are  so  many  demon! 
strations  of  his  own  necessary  aaivity   in   this  great  cause 
and  of  the  inability  of  all  creatures   to    devise,  to  carry  or/ 
and  to  accomplish  it.     On  the  other  hand,  the  names  of  his 
church  and  people,    are  all  names  of    a  passive   or   helhless 
sense    and  are  evidently  calculated  to  impress  them  widi  a 
convi6lion  of  their  entire  dependence  upon  Jehovah   'inh:is 
persons  and  offices  of  grace,  and  of  their  utter  incanacity  to 
quicken,  restore,  support,  and  to  perfed  any  thing  ^r  them- 
selves.    Critics  take  great  care  to  explain    the  terms  in  the 
classical  writer?,  which  relate  only  to  the  poor  affairs  o^this 
world,  in  order  to  obtain  a  right  understandino;  of  those  au- 
thors, though  the  terms  themselves    are  often  ^vague  and  ar- 
bitrary sounds  with  very  little  information  or  meaning  :  And 
It  the  same  attention  were  paid  to  the  language  of  God's  holy 
book,  hlxed  as  it  is  with  the  most  important  matter  for  man's 
present  and  eternal  happiness  ;   it   seems  almost  impossible 
that  such  absurd  mistakes,  such  bold  positions,  as  have  been 
uttered  and  avowed,  in  direa    opposition  to  the  very  %vords 
phrases,  Tind.  scope  of  the  whole  Sscripture,  could  ever-h-n^e 
been  foisted  into  the  world.      In  public  affairs,   and  the  con- 
cerns ot  time,  one  has  often  reason  to  regret'the  industry  of 
evil,  which  in  men  is  abundantly  more  quick  and  aaive  than 
their   good  intentions  ;  but  here  the  evil  arises,  a^  it  mi'^ht 
seem,    from    ikdolence,   or   inattention,   itself.     For,    though 
nothing  but   divine  grace  can  affea  the  faculties  of  the  squI 
vol.   11.  H 


54  A    D    0     N    A    I. 

and  give  tliem  an  experimental  pcirception  of  divine  things  ; 
yet  common  sense  can  easily  see,  that  Creator  and  created, 
agent  and  patient,  redeemer,  and  redeemed,  or  the  like,  are 
relative  terms,  and  cannot  subsist  in  the  same  obje6l.  Man, 
therefore,  can  be  but  one  part  of  these:  And  it  seems  easy,, 
enough  for  a  chila  to  say,  which  part  that  must  be.  These 
and  many  other  re/ w/,  are  not  nicknames,  imposed  without 
sense  according-  to  fancy,  but  are  formed  to  convey  the  no- 
tices of  the  most  necessary  do«5lrines  ;.  and  further,  when 
those  do61rines  are  expressed,  more  at  large  and  run  into 
phrases^  these  terms  harmonize  with  great  force  and  exa6t- 
jiess  to  compose,  strengthen,  and  enliven  the  phrases.  A> 
these  phrasts,  likewise,  relate  to  one  iV.hJQct^  for  which  both, 
in  themselves  and  in  their  com.ponent  terms  they  are  admira* 
biy  fitted  ;  so,  in  their  great  compilation,  they  universally  a- 
gree,  and  make  all  together  one  book  of  one  great  truth, 
which  (rightl)^  understood)  is  bright  and  beautiful  as  v/ell  in 
its  parts,  as  in  that  glorious  whole,  into. which  those  parts 
are  resolved.  It  resembles  one  vast  and  noble  arch  j  every 
stone  of  vv'hich  is  fitly  framed^  has  a  just  conta6l  with,  and  af- 
fords its  proportion  of  strength  to  all  tlie  rest.  To  some 
rf.mds  indeed,  the  parts  may  appear  to  be  loose  stones,  with- 
out connexion  ;  but  the  true  believer  sees  the  union,  and  is. 
enabled  to  view  the  beauty,  order,,  and  grandeur  of  the 
Vvhole.  If  Voltaire^  and  other  unhappy  infidels,  had  under- 
stood these  terms,  and  perceived  how  exactly  they  were 
squared  for  their  subjedl;  and  purpose;  much  of  their  igno- 
rance and  blasphemous  wit  would  have  been  silenced  by  a 
Wisdom,  which  wiser  men  than  themselves  were  never  able 
to  gainsay  or  resist^  and  which  sooner  or  later  will  make  it 
appear,  (according  to  the  apostle)  that  they  have  only  beea 
sporting  <i;vV/>  tbcir  own  deceiving s. 

The  sense  of  this  term  Adonai^  perfe6lly  agrees  with  the 
office  and  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  elTeiling  and  complet- 
ing his  people's  salvation.  He  is  the  arranger,  the  disposer, 
the  perfec^er,  of  the  whole.  He  judges,  v/hat  is  best  for 
them:  And  his  judgment  upon  the  comparison  of  ideas  or 
things  which  are  complex  and  various,  but  existing  in  himfelf 
as  the  essence  and  ground  of  alh  truth  ;  is  a  simple  determin- 
iition  and  decree  of  grace  or  providence,  for  the  welfare  of  his 
cliosen.  Thus  He  judges  from  Himself^  and  like  Himself ;  as 
the  true  and  very  God.  And  being  the  great  mover,  He  is 
necessarily  the  great  foundation,  of  alJ  salvation.  It  cannot 
subsist,  or  be  carried  o\\^  without  him. —  All  these  truth* 
may  we  learn  from  this  blessed' name,  wl/ich  He  has  gracious- 
ly assumed  to  convey  our  instru6lion  in  them  ;  and,  in  con- 
sequence of  his  tuition,  ought  \vc  to  cast  all  our  hopes,  cares, 
and  confulencc  wpon  Hi?f,  as  upon  that  Almighty  agent,  wha 


A    D    O    N    A    I.  ss 

is  engaged  to  work  for  us,  and  in  us  ;  and  as  upon  that  eter- 
nal foundation,  which  can  never  sink,  or  cease  to  suppoit 
us. 

If  a  wise  heathen,  Thales,  could  believe,  that  "  Provi- 
DENCE  [which  contains  much  of  ihe  sense  of  the  name  A- 
donai]  extends  to  the  lowest  of  all  beings,  and  tliat  nothing 
is  hid  from  it,  no  not  even  that  which  is  most  minute^  ;^'  how 
ought  the  real  Christian  to  be  persuaded  of  the  constant,  im- 
luediate,  and  invariable  attentions  of  this  Spirit  Jehovah, 
who  is  Providence  indeed  with  a  higher  name,  but  who  carries 
on  providence  for  a  higher  end,  than  the  valuable  heathen 
could  conceive  ?  What  confidence  may  he  not  place  in  Him, 
who  kno'vjetb  kis  down-sitiing^  and  kis  vp-ristng^and  ^-^ibo  un- 
dtrstandctb  bis  very  tbougbts  afar  oJ7  To  Vv^hom  nothing  in 
nature  is  hidden  or  unexplored  ;  and  now  much  less  the  con- 
cerns of  his  people  ?  Even  tbe  veij  bairs  oj your  bead  are  all 
numbered^  says  Chrisr ;  those  affairs  oFour  bodies,  v/hich  v/e 
have  not  numbered  ourselves,  or  make  any  account  of,  and 
which  we  lose  without  care  or  pain.  He  watches  over  t:acb 
of  his  people,  as  though  he  had  but  that  one  ;  and  he  v/atches 
over  the  lubole^  as  though  tliey  were  one  single  frame.  O 
could  they  but  trust  in  Him  at  all  ti?}ies^  as  they  are  privileged, 
nay,  authorized  by  his  v/ord  to  trust  in  him  ;  Vv^hat  a  diifer- 
ent  face  would  the  Christian  world  present  to  us  1  What  ho- 
lier and  what  happier  lives  should  we  see  !  What  triumphs 
over  the  follies  and  pursuits  of  the  world;  what  vi6lories  o- 
ver  the  flesh  and  its  lusts  ;  what  resistance  to  the  devil  and 
his  works  ;  v^'ould  appear  to  honour  and  adorn  the  Christian's 
bigb  vocation  I  Instead  of  a  cold,  languid,  or  at  best  a  luke- 
warm conversation  about  spiritual  things  ;  what  melting  fer- 
vor, what  holy  and  strong  affe6"tion,  would  possess  the  souls 
of  men  ;  if  they  lived  more  according  to  the  word,  and  more 
upon  the  Spirit  for  his  application  of  it  to  them  I  It  v/ould 
be  a  little  heaven  within  their  h^^arts,  if  this  gracious  Adonai 
were  more  depended  upon  by  professors  :  And  they  would 
see,  that  it  is  all  but  poor  and  wretched  stuff  indeed,  mere 
lumber  and  waste,  which  often  occupies  his  prop-srroom,  and 
cloys,  &  clogs,  h  wearies  them  out—for  no  other  end,  but  their 
weariness.  Nor  would  there  be  any  longer  such  a  v^ide  chasm 
between  their  faith  and  their  lives.  If  religion,  indeed,  con- 
sisted in  disputing  \  tlie  present  as  well  as  some  former  ages, 
is  religious  enough.  ''  There  has  always  been  a  vast  mul- 
titude  of  disputers  about  Chiisiianity,   and  always  (in  the 

*  From  Philoponus  in  his  couiment  upon  Arist.  de  An»  i;i. 
Harris's  Philcs*  A f rang.  p.   435. 


56  A    D     O     N     A     I. 

comparison)  but  very  few  Christians."*"  But  to  talk  of  .di- 
vine things,  and  to  enjoy  them,  are  as  different  as  substance 
and  shadow:  And  to  dispute  about  Christ,  without  the  Spi- 
rit of  Christ,  is  only  beating  the  air  and  crowning  a  man's  la- 
bor with  his  pains. 

^^  Let  me  then  (may  the  Christian  say)  have  this  unction 
from  the  Holy  One^  that  I  may  not  only  i/zow  the  things  of 
God,  but  know  them  aright — know  them  to  be  bis — know 
them  to  be  jnine  in  Him  !  May  I  ever  be  afraid  of  naked,  bar- 
ren speculations  ;  as  children  are  of  spectres  !  May  it  be  my 
aim,  through  the  help  of  this  Spirit  Adonai^  to  seek  not  only 
for  substance  in  divine  things,  but  for  their  enduring  sub- 
stance !  Let  me  grow  rich  in  faithy  rather  than  in  notions, 
that  I  may  be  humbled  in  myself  where  I  ought  to  be  humble, 
and  lifted  up  in  the  Lord,  where  only  in  facl  I  can  be  exalt- 
ed!  Amidst  a  world  of  opinions,  may  I  see  it  my  privilege 
and  my  duty  to  rest  upon  Him,  who  can  never  change,  and 
upon  his  excellent  word,  which  can  never  be  broken !  Let 
me  never  be  taken  with  any  fine»spun  speculations  of  salva- 
tion ;  but  be  ever  pressing  that  the  life  and  power  of  it  may 
be  established  within  me  I" — This  is  the  cry  of  the  believer's 
heart ;  and  it  is  blessed  with  a  joy,  w/V>6  which  a  stranger  to 
God  and  this  cry  intermeddleth  not. 

"  Keep  within  the  revealed  word  (said  an  excellent  man) 
and,  in  the  patience  and  comfort  of  the  Scriptures,  live  by 
hope.  No  flesh  can  see  God  and  live.  Poor  man  would  be 
Y/ise,  and  see  the  upshot  of  all  things  ;  but  the  vessel  of  his 
understanding  cannot  hold  it."f  When  men  would  be  wi?e 
above  what  is  written,  they  are  never  wise  in  what  is  writ- 
ten. They  cannot  govern  themselves,  who  will  not  obey 
God. 

Happy  is  the  believer,  who  knows, by  gracious  experience, 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  his  constant  Adonai^  who  moves  him 
when  he  is  moved  for  God,  and  who  supports  him  all  the  way 
to  the  presence  of  God.  In  trusting  to  this  divine  power  he 
obtains  the  evidence  of  that  power,  as,  by  believing  the  di- 
vine record,  he  receives  the  witness  of  its  truth.  Could  he 
trust  at  all  times  ;  he  would,  at  all  times,  find  cause  to  re- 
joice. When  he  doubts,  he  fails  ;  as  Pcfcr  began  to  sink  in 
the  sea,  when  be  began  to  fear  its  threatening  waves.  The 
Psalmist  nobly  sings  ;  'what  time  I  am  afraid^  I  will  trust  in 
thee.  In  God  I  will  praise  his  word  ;  In  God  I  have  put  my 
trust;  J  will  not  fear  what  fesh  can  do  unto  me.  And  thoy, 
O  Christian,  wilt  bear  a  part  in  this  holy  song;  whenever 
illy  faith,  like  the  Psalmist's,  rests,  firmly  on  the  same  fouada- 
"^  Regaltius  in  Commcdian.  apud  Cave.  Hist,  Lit, 
\  Sec  DoRNEY's  divinely  experimental  Discourse  of  Salvation 
p.   151.  3dP:dit. 


A    D    O     N     A     I.  57 

tion.  This  Adonai  cannot  fail  himself;  nor  will  he  suffer 
thee  to  perish.  The  fojundation  of  God  staiidetb  sure :  Sure 
also  is  his  word;  and  sure  is  his  covenant;  according  to 
which  that  word  was  framed.  He  hears  up  the  pillars  of 
heaven  and  earth  ;  and  is  he  not  sufficient  then  to  sustain 
tbee  I 

''''  I  do  not  doubt  his  sufficiency  (says  the  doubting  soul), 
nor  ?.ny  otlier  of  iiis  attributes  :  My  only  fear  is,  lliat  his 
w/7/  is  not  inclined  to  save  and  preserve  me,  I  feel  in  myself, 
what  my  mouth  would  not  and  cannot  utter,  but  what  is  so 
abhorrent  from  every  thing  good,  that,  were  I  one  oi  his,  it 
surely  could  not  be  thus  viitb  7;?^.'"'-— And  ;is  this  thy  grief 
that  so  much  ill  appears  and  so  little  good  ?  Is  it  tliy  sorro^u) 
indeed,  that  tl)':;re  is  a»:)'  thing  sinful,  depraved,  and  unclean 
within  thee  ?  Dost  thou  feel  real  compunction  of  Spirit  at  thy 
departure,  01  thy  distance,  from  God  i' — Then  be  comtortcd  ; 
not  in  thy.  distance,  or,  in  any  evil  ;  but  in  the  discovery  of 
all  this  within  thee..  If  Ood  had  not  loved  tlie«,  he  would 
not  have  acquainted  thee  with  this  corruption  ;  nor  wouidest 
;thou  have  been  grieved  at  these  depravities  of  thy  nature. 
The  sins  of  the  heart  would  never  have  been  an  afHi6lion,  if 
-the  Spirit  of  grace  had  not  renewed,  the  heart.  The  sins  of 
the  life  are  scandalous  ;  and  the  pride  of  characler,  and  the 
caution  of  the  hypocrite,  will  often  keep  a  man  from  these: 
But  nothing  except  a  principle. of  gracious  life  will  disturb 
the  den  of  thieves  within^  and  aim  to  drive  them  out  of  the 
temple.  Whatever  manifests  is  light:  And  God  hath  en- 
lightened thee  to  take  this  view  of  thy  heart,  that,  seeing 
no  hope  in  thyself,  thou  mayest  flee  to  Christ  for  pardon  and 
righteousness,  and,  finding  no  help  in  thyself,  thou  mayest 
rely  wholly  upon  the  Spirit  Adonai,  God  shews  tliee  to  thy- 
self, to  frighten  thee  from  thyself:  And  thou  couldest  not  be 
without  this  view  for  a  thousand  worlds;  as  thou  Wilt  find 
to  thy  joy  hereafter.  Only  let  this  discovery  humble  thy 
proud  nature,  and  bring  thee,  with  most  absolute  dependence, 
to  Christ  and  the  Spirit,  for  mercy,  and  grace  :  and  all  shall 
be  well  at  the  last. 

How  WELL  it  shall  be  at  the  last  ;  the  thoughts  of  men  can- 
not conceive,  nor  the  tongues  of  angels  declare.  I'hat.  it 
shall  be  infinitly  and  eternally  wj//,  \ye  may  be  very  certain  ; 
for  God  hath  said  it.  Let  this  be  thy  repose,  O  believer ; 
here  do  thou  dwell  and  have  thy  constant  delight.  Soon  the 
shadows  of  earth  and  of  time  shall  fiy  away ;  soon  shall  each 
dreary  and  drooping  scene  be  removed  ;  and  the  whole  vision 
and  fruition  of  thy  God  for  ever  arise.  The  night  is  far 
spent  ;  the  day^  the  everlasting  day  is  at  hand.  Oiir  longest 
life  below  is  but  a  moment  of  that  night :  And  the  puny  divi- 
sions of  time  arc  lost  in  the  eternity  of  dav  before  thec^  As  a 


58  A    D    O    N    A    I. 

good  man  observed;  if  before  the  flood,  when  men  listed  for 
centuries,  they  reckoned  their  continuance  on  earth  by  days', 
surely,  it  becomes  us,  whose  length  of  life  cannot  even  be 
mentioned  with  theirs,  to  reckon  up  our  ages  by  hours.  By 
hours!  And  <wbo  thinks  of  an  hour?  Who  calculates  its 
worth  ;  or  lives  according  to  the  calculation  i — None  but  he, 
who  values  it  for  Christ,  and  who  passes  it  with  him  and  for 
him.  He  only  saves  the  hour:  He  alone  redeems  the  time* 
All  other  time  is  lost  but  this,  and  sinks  into  oblivion.  O 
what  are  men  employed  in  1  What  paltry  occupations  engross, 
as  well  as  engage  their  hearts,  their  hands,  and  their  lives  I 
Could  they  feel  the  worth  of  time  by  knowing  the  worth  of 
grace  in  time  ;  is  it  possible,  that  not  only  their  busy,  but 
their  vacant  hours  should  slide  away,  without  any  concern 
upon  iheir  minds  bo'UJ  they  slide,  ox  J  or  ^bat  they  have  been 
spent  i  Look  back,  and  reckon,  believer,  if  all  out  of  Chri&t 
has  not  been  vanity  or  vexation  oj^ spirit :  Look  forward,  and 
,-count,  if  any  thing,  on  earth, can  promise  thee  more.  But  O 
that  joy  and  peace,  which  will  exceed  the  calculation  of  time, 
and  which  is  not  reckoned  by  the  world  at  all  !  This,  and  this 
only,  like  purified  gold  in  the  fire,  remains  to  enrich  thee. 
This,  like  its  author,  can  never  be  lost.  This,  and  the  gos- 
pel, through  w^hich  it  is  given,  shall  brighten  to  eternity. 
With  respedl  to  the  busy,  blustering,  and  the  fleeting  world, 
thou  mayest  sing  with  a  writer  of  old.* 

Peacefid  let  me  live  belo^y 
though  my  life  I  pass  iinknoy^n  : 
Careless^  ivhether  others  Anoiv, 
If  my  name  the  Lord  w/7/  own. 

Thou  art  indeed  unkno-xn^  yet  r:ell  knoivn — unknown  by-- 
^iian — well  known  of  God,  And  soon  shalt  thou  knoiv^  evc:i 
as  also  thou  art  known, — Here  language  fails  ;  and  imagina- 
tion is  absorbed.  Thou  canst  only  add,  with  the  apostle; 
and  mayest  thou  add  with  the  same  transporting  views  ;  O 
the  depth  of  the  riches  both  of  the  wisdom  a^id  knowledge  of 
God  !  How  unsearchable  are  bis  judgments^  and  bis  ways  past 
finding  out  ! — For  of  Him^  and  through  Him^  and  to  Him 
'  are  all  things  /  t»  whom  be  glory  for  ever.     Amen* 

*  SrNEsius,  c/'t£^  Wits.  Misc,Sacr,\o\*  i.  p.  637. 


M     O    S    T       H    I     G     H,  5^ 


I  ::■?•.>:  ■ 


i\I  O    S  T      H   I   G    H. 


A  LL  sorts  of  people  do  allow,  that  tills  illustriQUS  titis  is 
^^peculiar  to  the  everlasting  God.  It  is  not  so  much  a 
name^  which  generally  implies  the  definition  of  a  person  or 
thing,  as  an  as<:yipt'i07i^  which  asserts,  that  God,  in  respe6l  to 
definition,  cannot  properly  he  named  ;  for  let  us  conceive  of 
him  as  far  as  we  can,  and  let  us  apply  to  him  all  the  names 
we  are  able,  he  will  yet  be  infinitely  above  every  name,  and 
eternally  transcend  all  our  conceptions.  This  seems  to  be 
the  sense  of  this  title  p^bp,  or  Most  High.  It  tends  to  ex. 
press,  that  Jehovak  is  both  inexpressible^  and,  from  the  un-. 
bounded  sublimity  of  his  nature,  by  us  and  all  the  creature* 
inconceivable  too.  This  ascription,  therefore,  is  admirably 
chara6l:eristic  of  deity ^  is  used  for  that  purpose  in  the  holy 
Scriptures,  and  sets  him  forth,  both  as  unknowable  and  un- 
known, unless  according  to  the  mode  and  extent  ol  bis  oivn 
revelation.  Our  old  translation  of  the  Psalms  has  ventured 
to  emplo}^  a  grammatical  solecism  to  shew,  that  this  title  is  a- 
bovc  all  rule  of  language,  and  above  all  idea  of  men.  The 
term  Most  Highest,  is  no  more  a  blunder,  in  this  view,  than 
another  title  given  to  Him  in  the  Scriptures,  namely,  High- 
er THAN  THE  Hi  GUEST.  Eccl.  V.  8.  Neither  name  pre- 
tends to  explain,  hovj  high  Jehovah  is  ;  but  both  conciir  in 
asserting,  that  over  all  names  put  together,  over  all  descrip- 
tions v/hether  of  angels  or  men,  over  all  conceptions  and 
ideas  that  the  most  exalted  intelle6ls  of  creatures  can  frame; 
Jehovah  is  still  higher  than  the  highest^  and  that  they  do  not 
andrannot,  by  infinite  degrees,  reach  up  towards  him.  The 
considerate  heathens  could  reason  upon  this  truth,  that  God 
must  necessarily  be  inconceivable.  They  could  trace-  out 
his  wisdom  and  power  by  his  works  ;  they  could  be  convin- 
ced, that  the  vast  frame  of  things,  which  is  obvious  to  human 
sense,  could  be  the  effe6l  only  of  an  all-perfe5l  and  immortal 
being;  they  could  be  assured,  that  all  adivity,  motion,  or  life, 
must  proceed  from  a  cause  of  infinite  energy,  or  rather  from 
some  existence  who  is  all  energy,  fullness,  and  truth  ;  But, 
with  all  this,  they  were  obliged  to  own,  that  to  concsive  any 
thing  of  so  pure    and  abstracled  a  nature   in  the  miriJ,.wa3 


6o  M    O     S    T       H    I    G    H. 

immensely  diiHcuk,  and  consequently,  to  express  that  nature 
(if  it  were  even  right  to  attempt  it)  absolutely  impossible.* 
Some  of  these  heathens  procured,  by  one  means  or  other, 
this  title  of  God  from  the. true  worshippers,  in  the  first  ages 
after  the  flood,  and  gradually  debased  it,  as  they  did  all  other 
traditions  of  the  kind,  to  the  purposes  of  the  vilest  idolatry. 
As'td  indeed,  in  all  ages,  when  men  follow  any  rule,  but  God's 
own  revelation,  concerning  his  nature  and  existence,  and  set 
up  ihcir  wretched  "  reasoning  faculty,"  perverted  and  cloud- 
ed as  it  is  by  sin  ;  they  are  sure  to  wander  into  doubt  or  ab- 
surdity at  best,  and  generally,  by  stating  their  own  chimeras 
as  true  "representations,  of  the  deity,  become  as  mere  idola- 
ters in  reality,  as  the  very  worst  of  the  heathens.  Yet,  it 
is  remarkable  enough  :  all'theke  will  be  so  positive  and  dog- 
matical respe(jting  their  particular  hypotheses  ;  that  one 
should  think,  the  Alost  High  must  be-  as  much  an  object  of 
their  senses  as  a  stick  or  a  straw  j  and'they  will  tell  us,  that 
God  //  such  arid  such  a  being,  nay,  ^T\d.7nnsi  be  so  too  ;  though, 
at  the  sam.e  time,  they  have  not  the  goodness  to  inform  us  of 
the  manner  of  existence  tven  in  a  stick  or  straw,  nor  yet  the 
particular  ijiode  of  beings  by  v/hich  they  exist  themselves. 
What  is  further  remarkable  likewise;  all  these  over-inteili- 
gent  heads  shall  differ  amazingly  upon  this  topic  from  each 
other :  And  yet  there  is  not  one  of  them,  but  will  affirm,  that 
all  his  ideas  arc  not  only  founded  upon  his  "  reasoning  facul- 
ty," but  ought  to  be  founded  upon  it,  as  the  highest  standard 
and  criterion  of  truth.  The  antient  dogmatists  differed  in 
the  same  way.  Some  said,  that  fre  was  God ;  others,  wa- 
ter ;  others,  air  ;  others,  that  God  was  the  soul  of  the  world ; 
some  one  thing ;  and  some  another;  and  the  wisest  of  them 
all  honi^stly  confessed  him  to  be  unknown.  Take  Spinoza^ s 
god,  Hcbbes'^s^  Wbiston^s^  Collins'^s^  Toland'^s^  Chubb'' s^  Tin- 
diiPs^  the  god  of  the  Avians^  the  God  of  the  Socinians^  the 
god  of  one  kind  of   deists^    and  the    god  of  another   kind  ;'j* 

*  Stob^us.  Serm.  Ixxxviii.  Thus  Xenopho?j,  Plato,  and  his  com- 
mentator PLtnius,  with  many  other  of  the  antient  heathens,  owned, 
Deum  nee  purvestigare possibiie,  nee  fas  investigare.  See  much  said 
to  this  effccl,  in  Morn^us,  demerit.  ReL  Christ,  c.  iv. 

t  Spinoza's  god  was,  all  visible  beino^  the  particulars  of  which  were 
oniy  modifications  of  the  deity  ;  so  that  men,  dogs,  mice,  insc6ls, 
are  parts  of  himself,  there  being  only  one  existence  or  nature. 

Hobbes's  god  was  not  very  dillerent,  for  he  made  him  corporeal,  and 
asserted,  that"  what  is  not  uodj,  is  nothing  at  all ;"  and  that  all  re- 
livnon  originated  lufear  and  superstition;  in  which  he  was  of  the 
same  mi'.id  with  Lucrttius  and  the  Epicureans, 

JVhi^iun'i  god  was  a  being  entirely  different  from  tlie  Son  and  NoU 
Gh: St,  \vho,  in  his  opinion,  Avere  mere  cjeatures,  and  by  no  mearls 
the  objecl  of  our  wcrship. 


MOST    H  I  G  H.  6i 

and  place  them  together  :   And  a  man,  viewing  all  these  gods 
as  the  resLilt  of  the  *'  reasoning  faculty,"  would   be  almos: 

Collins  v/ent  farther,  and  made  his  god  still  more  remot  from  eve- 
ry idea  suggested  of  him  by  Christianity,  insomuch  thiit  he  did  not 
iicruple  to  renounce  Christianity,  altogether.  i 

Toland  was  a  glaringly  vain  i.nd  conceited  man,  even  in  Locke's 
judgment,  and  favored  Spinoza's  pantheistic  scheme,  but  without 
Spinoza's  morals.  His  god  v/as  every  thing,  or  (as  it  might  be  bet- 
ter said)  a  nothing,  in  the  world. 

Chubb's  god  was  framed  ^\.  Salisbury  z.zcc>vd.\n^  to  his  own"  rea- 
soning faculty  ;"  but  was  a  deity  of  that  odd  make,  as  to  render  it 
unnecessary  io pray  to  him  ;  for  this  Chnbk  disallcv/ed,  as  Avell  as  the 
ideas  of  particular  providence,  a  future  judgment  and  existence, 
or  any  thing  else  which  v/e  have  of  that  kind  by  revelation.  Pos- 
sibly, by  not  praying  to  his  god,  Chubb  thought  he  should  at  least  a.- 
void  idolatry. 

7VnJa/ quaintly  called  \\\m?,t\i  ?i  Christian  at ist  ;  and  therefore 
his  god  must  b^  siii generis,  and  not  classed  with  the  others.  Those 
however,  who  took  pains  to  develcpe  him  and  his  principles,  reduce 
him  to  the  form  of  the  common  deists,  as  to  his  own  proper  place. 
With  them,  he  indeed  discards  all  revelation,  and  implicitly  follows, 
what  he  calls,  and  perhaps  believed  to  be,  reason* 

The  Arians  make  their  god  of  a  most  extraordinary  composition. 
They  assert,  that  the  Father  is  the  one  great  God,  and  that  the  Son 
and  the  Holy  Spirit,  are  mere  emanations,  issuing  from  him  and  re^ 
solved  into  him  again*  Thus  they,  in  fa6l,  confound  the  simplici^ 
tj  of  the  divine  nature,  and  and  reject  its  unity. 

The  Socinians  advance  a  degree  or  two  beyond  the  Arians,  and 
affirm  roundly,  that  Christ  and  the  Ihly  Spirit  are  not  eveii  emana- 
tions of  deity,  but  real  creatures,  and  there  is  truly  no  such  thing 
as  redemption  or  satisfaction  for  sin,  and  no  inward  operation  cf 
what  is  called  grace  upon  the  soul.  Of  course,  their  god  differs,  in 
fafil,  but  very  little  from  the  next  class  (to  omit  sevend  olhcrs) 
which  we  shall  mention. 

The  Deists  form  their  god  after  the  model  of  the  heatheii  philo- 
sophers, receiving,  however,  a  few  of  his  embellishments  from  the 
Christian  revelation,  which  some  of  them  affe6lto  despise.  They 
difer,  notwithstanding,  as  their  heathen  masters  did,  concerning 
his  precise  nature  and  attributes  ;  and  a  few  of  them  have  eVen  pre- 
tended to  pay  a  sort  of  specious  respe6l  to  Christianity  itself  upon 
the  score  of  its  morality  ;  forgetting,  perhaps,  that  if  the  system  be 
not  wholly  true,  it  is  the  most  impious  and  blasphemous  imposture, 
that  ever  was  foisted  upon  mankind.  Their  kiss  like  ^/cftii'^  is  to 
be  dreaded,  lest  it  be  only  a  signal  to  betray  both  Christ  and  his 
gospeu 

For  asolid  and  dispassionate  ccnfutationof  most  of  these  opi  licnS) 
the  reader  may  be  referred  to  the  writings  of  the  late  Dr.  Lllant, 
and  particularly  to  his  View  of  the  deist ical  vjr iters,  and  his,  Adjan- 
iagc  a.id  necessity  cf  the  Christian  revelation;  in  which  works  his 
reasoning  opponents  are  fairlv  and  thoroughly  beaten  wltli  their 
tv/n  wenpoivs.  Vol.  II.  1 


63  M  O  S  T     H  I  G  H. 

tempted  (if  there  \v^re  no  better  rule  in  the  case)  rather  t« 
adopt  VaninPs  notion,  and  roundly  assert  at  once,  that  there 
is  no  God  at  all,  AluLltuch  numiniim^  nullitas  est  jiumimun. 
A'l  these  and  many  other  opinions  of  him  cannot  possibly  be 
rigMt  Ail  ifiit  one  (it  even  that  one  could  be  excepted),  ir.ust 
necessarily  be  wrong.  And  the  question  then  is,  which  is 
the  onai  The  yf j/ are  ^inavoidably /i/(j/j,  or  i^atbest)  ilhisive 
unreal  phantoms :  And  if  even  t^is  one  stand  upon  the  "  rea- 
soning faculty,"  which  is  the  assumed  ground  of  all  the  rest; 
there  is  no  sort  of  certainty,  but  that  tlis  may  be  a  phantom 
too.  Here,  then,  comes  the  issue  of  all  pretended  ''  rational 
religion,"  which  begins  with  the  rejection  of  Goa's  reve* 
lation,  and  usually  ends  in  little  better  than  scepticism 
and  infidelity,  it  floats  perhaps  awhile  in  the  brain,  but 
hath  not  weight  enough  to  sink  into  the  heart,  nor  force 
enough  to  influence  the  life.  It  can  carry  a  man  no  farther, 
than  it  did  the  heathens — 

to  a  semblance  of  virtue  and  out-.rard  decency  ;  but  will  never 
so  afFev_x  the  soul,  as  to  crucify  it  to  the  world,  renew  it  in  it- 
self, and  lift  it  up  to  the  enjoyment  of  God.  Possibly,  it 
doth  not  pretend  to  this.  Then,  cui  bono  P  Doth  it  not  leave 
a  man  j.ust  as  it  found  him?  In  which  case,  what  is  he  the 
better  tor  this  ideal  affair,  which  begins,  proceeds,  and  ends, 
vnth.  nothing  f  Nor  is  this  religion  (if  it  can  deserve  the 
n?.me)  even  so  rational^  as  it  pretends  ;  for  it  rests  upon  bu* 
man  ideas  to  determine  a  matter  which  is  infinitelyabove 
them  :  add  to  this,  these  very  ideas,  are,  at  the  same  time, 
fiiictuating  and  unsteady  in  themselves,  extremely  different  in 
different  pjrsons^  and  often  exceedingly  various^  perplexed^ 
and  obscured  \n  the  same  individual  person  at  different  times. 
A  pretty  foundation  this  to  rest  upon,  in  preference  to  that 
rock  of  ages^  which  can  never  be  moved,  and  to  his  holy 
word,  which  hath  at  all  times  been  proved,  and  proved  again, 
and  never  been  icnown  to  fall  1  reason,  intruding  here  into 
things  vibicb  she  hath  not  seen^  becomes,  atheism  in  a  fair 
disgul&e  ;  and  thus  by  misleading,  while  she  herself  is  misled, 
pluiiges  her  (in  fa<Sl)'irrational  votaries  into  every  pernicious 
consequence.  That  man  can  never  be  a  tridy  reasonable  be- 
ing, wiio  leaves  tlie  Author  of  all  right  reason^  for  the  cloud- 
ed cogitations  of  his  own  mind,  or  for  the  no  less  clouded, 
and  wavering,  and  uncertain  o[)inions  of  others.  Nor,  on 
the  other  hand,  can  be  be  irrational^  who,  consenting  with 
the  wisest  of  men  as  well  as  with  the  word  of  God,  applies 
for  information  to  Him,  who  only  can  give  it  upon  this  sub- 
je6>,  and  then  relies  upon  that  information  given,  as  upon  an 
invincible  truth,  proceeding  from  a  being,  who  is  both  too 
wise  and  too  holy,  to  be  mistaken  himself  or  to  utter  a  lie  to 
others.     There  is  either  nc  revelation  at  all,-  in  which  case^ 


M  O  S  T     H  I  G  K.  6i 

ail  religion  is  a  clieat,  ana  there  is  notJiing  certain  in  the 
world,  respecting  the  eiid  of  our  being,  as  well  as  the  cause  of 
it :  Ot^  if  there  /^e  a  revelation,  it  is  madness  and  iinpiidence 
at  once  in  ariy  man,  whu,  admitting  its  existence,  doth  not 
abide  bv  its  declarations,  but  ventures  to  controvert  or  de- 
termine without  them.      There  is  but  this  alternutive  in  tha 

matter. Thus  much  for  the  little   gods  of  iiumaii  brains  : 

Let  us  now  turn  our  attention  to  the  revelalion  of  God 
Must  High. 

From  revelation  we  learn,  that  this  Must  High,  is  Jeho- 
vah, the  incommunicable,  seil'-cxistent,  essence  ;  or  (vv^hat  is 
exacUy  the  sa>ne}  that  Jeiiovak  only  is  the  Most  High. 
Tbou^  ^L-osc  name  alone  is  Jehovah,  art  the  Most  High 
o-jcr  all  tLe  cdnh  ;  or,  (iis  others  render  it)  Tkaii^  'vjbose  nn7ne 
is  Jehovah,  art  alone  the  Most  High  over  all  the  eartb, 
Psa.  ixx:^:!!.  lo.  He  is  cailed  Jehovah  Most  High,  in  Psa. 
vii.  i8.  and  in  other  places:  And,  in  Psa.  xcii.  8.  Jehovah 
the  Most  High*  for  evermore.  There  can  be  wo  doubt, 
therefore,  tliat  this  terai  can  only  be  applied  to  God,  and  be 
reciprocated  as  a  name  of  his  infinite  and  exalted  nature.  IF, 
then,  it  can  be  applied,  and  is  applied  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  it 
will  prove  most  demonstrably,  and  ought  to  prove  beyc.d  all 
controversy,  that  he  is  truly  God  or  Jehovah,  or  ?i  person  in 
the  self-existent  essence  so  named. 

Psalm  Ixxviii.  17 — ^x.  The  Israelites  provoked  the  Most 
High  in  the  iviiderjiess^  and  they  tempted  Al  in  their  biart^ 
by  asking  meat  for  their  lust ;  yea^  they  spcke  against  the  A- 
LEHiM,  &c. — Therefore^  jekovah  beard  tois^  and  'vjas  lorctb^ 
&c. — because  tbey  believed  not  in  rZ?^  Alehim,  See.  I:  appears 
as  self-evident  as  any  first  proposition,  that  these  several  ti- 
tles of  Jehovaby  Al^  Alebim^  and  3:Iost  Higu^  belong  to  on.e 
and  the  same  being,  whom  we  call  God:  Or,  otherwise,  there 
is  ?.  plurality  of  gods^  which  the  Scriptures  oppose  and  Chris- 
tians deny.  Whoever,  therefore,  has  one  of  these  app^ella- 
tioiis  strictly  ascribed  to  him,  has  an  indefeasabie  right  to  all 
the  rest. 

Now,  the  prophet  Isaiah  declares,  that  this  provocation  of 
the  /j-r^t/^V^j  was  against  the  Holy  Shirit:  They  rebelled 
and  x:exed  bis  Holy  Spirit.  Is.  Ixiii.  10.  The  martyr  Ste- 
phen says,  that  tbey  resisted  the  Holy  Ghost.  Acts  viii.  51 
And  the  apostle  to  the  Hebrews  confirms  both,  by  declaring, 
that  it  is  the  Holy  Ghost,  'who  saiib^  your  Jatbers  tempted 
Me,  proved  Mb,  and  saw  my  works  forty  years.   Hebr.  iii. 

The  Holy  Spirit,    therefore,  in   these   last  texts,  is  the 

*  t2*.^:2,  whence  the  Rimmon  o^  the  Gentiles  ;  as  from  *pbr,  their 
£'ion  or  £lioan»     See  Vol.  1.  p.    155. 


64  M  O  S  T     H  I  G  H. 

Most  High,  Jehovah,  Al,  and  ALEnnr,  stated  by  the 
Psalmist  in  the  preceding  text,  and  consequently,  the  true, 
infinite,  self-existent,  and  everlasting  God. 

It  may  be  noted,  by  the  way,  that  the  above  passr^ge  iu 
the  lAore^Ms^  were  there  no  other  in  the  Bible  to  asseit  the 
essential  divinity  of  the  Holy  Spirit^  is  sufficient  of  itself  for 
that  purpose  ;  for  it. asserts,  that  all  the  ivorks^  which  were 
done  in  thg  wilderness,  before  or  in  behalf  of  the  IsraeUtcs^ 
were  che  glorious  operations  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  We  have 
seen,  m  the  former  volume,  that  they  are  also  ascribed  to 
Christ  as  one  of  the  persons  in  the  essence  ;  and  nobody 
will  deny^  who  believes  in- revelation  at  all,  that  God,  or  the 
Father,  was  undoubtedly  present  :  It  follows,  then,  that  all 
Ava?  performed  by  the  Trinity  in  Unity ^  and  that  the  whole 
was  carried  on  by  the  po'n^er  and  according  to  the  w///  of  the 
three  divine  persons  in  the  one  undivided  essence.  Take  it 
in  any  other  view ;  and  there  will  be  dijft^rent  agents  of  dif- 
ferent natures  in  this  work  of  salvation,  and  consequently 
more  Gods  than  one  ;  because  to  these  different  agents  arc 
the  names  of  God  ascribed  :  Or,  there  will  be  only  one  agent 
under  dijferent  names^  and  so,  consequently,  Christ  and  the 
Holy  Ghost  w'xth  the  Father  are  but  one  person^  who  suffered 
and  bled,  who  departed  yQ,X.  came  again  as  a^iother  comforter^ 
yet  not  another  but  the  same  ;  and  thus  the  Scriptures  will  be 
an  heap  of  contradictions^  as  well  as  blasphemies  against  the 
divine  nature.  The  adversaries,  therefore  of  the  Christian 
do6lrinG  of  the  trinity^  who  profess  to  receive  the  Bible, 
have  only  this  refuge  as  adversaries  ;  either  to  adopt /75/)'- 
theism  and  so  become  idolaters,  or  to  plunge  into  the  sink  of 
Sabellianism^  and  so  admit  that  the  Father  was  crucified  and 
suffered,  putting  a  lie  into  Christ's  mouth,  when  he  declared, 
3fy  God^  my  God^  'vihy  hast  tboii  Forsaken  me.  A  man  must 
in  faci  rejecl  the  Scriptures  altogether,  as  a  divine  revelation, 
if  ho  deny  the  do<5lrine  of  a  trinity,  upon  which  as  upon,  one 
great  and  necessary  foundntion,  they  entirely  stand. 

Luke  i.  z^r  7hs  Holy  Ghost  shall  come  upon  thec^  and  the 
potjcer  of  the  Highest  shall  oversbado'ii)'^  thee  :  therefore  also 
that  holy  things  ivhich  shall  be  born  of  thce^  shall  be  called  tbe 
Son  of  God.  In  the  32d  verse,  this  Son  of  God'xs  called  the 
Son  of  the  Highest^  and,  tlierefore,  Christy  as  to  his  human  na- 
ture, is  the  Son  of  vlic  Holy  Ghost ^  by  whose  operation  that 
liuman  nature  was  formed  in  the  virgin's  womb.  Hence  it  ap- 
pears, that  Gody   Highest^  and  Holy  Ghost^  are  terms  of  rcci- 

*  LTTKriiix'yti.  This  ^vord  seems  to  bear  a  similar  idea  -with  nsrr^ir: 
I  1  Gen.  i.  2.  which  might  prefigure  what  the  Spirit  would  do,  in  the 
fahicss  of  time,  wit!\  relation  to  the  human  nature  of  Christ,  and 
the  new  life  he  would  impart,  at  all  times,  to  the  people  of  God. 


M  O  S  T     11  I  C  H.  6s 

procation,  whicli  could  not  be  the  case,  unless  the  Holy  Ghost 
were  God  Most  High.  But  being  God  most  Higb^  there  is  no 
blaspheiny  (as  otherwise  there  certainly  .woaid  be)  in  ascrib- 
ing to  him  all  the  peculiar  titles  of  the  Godhead:  Let  those 
take  caic  oi  dlasl^bemy  against  bim  'Matth.  xii.  31.)  who  arc 
bold  eaough  to  asciibe  them  to  any  other. 

It  seems  almost  a,  work  of  supererogation  to  add  a  word  to 
proofs  like  these  i  but  such  is  ihe  hardness  of  the  human 
heart,  that  God  useth  line  upon  line,  diud  precept  upon  prcce^^t^ 
like  successive  sun-beams,  to  melt  it  down  ;  and  such  is  the 
stubbornness  of  the  human  will  in  maintaiTiing  its  o^n  precon- 
ceived opinions,  that  argument  upon  argument,  though  not  to 
be  refelled,  can  make  no  due  impression,  without  tlie  concur- 
rence of  omnipotent  aid.  It  is  right,  however,  to  endeavor 
to  silence  those,  who  refuse  to  be  convii^iced;  or,  at  least,  if 
they  will  not  be  silent,  to  leave  them  nothing,  in  fairness,  to 
say.  It  may  be  right  also  to  establish  tliose,  who  are  weak  in 
the  truth,  that  they  may  not  be  shaken  by  the  unscriptural 
sophisms']'  of  the  adversary. 

'John  iii.  5.  Except  a  man  (says  Christ^  be  born  of  water\ 
and  of  the  Spirit,  he  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 

Luke  vi.  35.  But  the  same  Christ  tells  his  disciples,  that 
ithey  shall  be  the  children  of  the  Highest,  and  (in  Luke  xx. 
36.)  the  children  of  God. 

The  Spirit,  therefore,  is  the  Highest  and  God. 
Upon  the  proof  of  this  important  point,  there  is  an  end  of 
-that  controversy,  which  has  employed  so  many  tongues  and 
pens,  respe(fting  the  proper  object  of  worship.  An  Arian, 
who  dreams  of  the  inferiority  of  deity,  and  all  the  endless 
abs,urdities  which  arise  from  that  principle,  may  indeed  be 
perplexed  him-self,  and  may  perplex  others,  upon  this  points 
but  the  orthodox  Christian  knows,  that  there  is  one,  and  but 
one  objedl  of  worship,  and  that  it  is  abominable  idolatry  to 
pay  adoration  to  more.  He  also  professes,  that,  as  the  three 
flivine  persons  are  one  only  essence,  he  cannot  v/orship  them 
as  separate  or  different  from  that  essence,  and,  consequently, 
that  whether  he  address  himself  to  each  of  the  three  persons, 
or  to  the  three  persons  together,  his  praver  or  praise  ascends 
to  the  whoJe  essence,  which  is  an  undivided  One,  and  his 
worship  is  of  ''  this  Unity  in  Trinity,  and  the  Trinity  in  U- 
nity,  in  all   things,"  and  at   ail    times.      He   is,  therefore,  a 

t  Hxreticiis  adviilgi  viticy'-^elsxcuH  ingenia,  confuglt,  Tert. 

\  Water  is  the  Spirit's  emblem  ;  for  as  water  pervades  the  whole 
matter  of  the  universe,  is  insinuated  unto  the  fubric  of  all  earthly 
things,  and  both  vivifies  and  purines  agreeable  to  its  nature  ;  so  the 
Holy  Spirit  cleanses  the  souls  of  his  people,  enters  into  their  whole 
spiritual  constitution,  and  enUvens  the  whole  by  his  penetrating  a- 
gency.     See  farther  in  the  Essay  below,  entitled,   JVater  of  Life, 


66  M  O  S  T     H  I  G  H. 

worshipper  o^  ojie  GoJ,  and  indeed  can  worship  no  more,  for 
there  is  but  one.  A  learned  and  ingenious  writer  hath  illus- 
trated this  i.iatterby  a  very  pertinent  instance.  **  The  ciis- 
cirljs  oi  Christ  (says  he)  were  commanded  to  baptize  in  the 
name  of'  tkc  Fatber^  and  of  the  Son^  a;.d  oj' the  Holy  Ghost  : 
And,  without  doubt,  the  bapdsm  they  admini.- tered,  was  in 
all  cases  agi'jea'ole  to  the  prescribed  torrr..  Nevertheless,  we 
are  told  of  some  .vho  were  coinmanded  to  be  baptized  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  ^Acts  x.  48.)  and  particularly,  in  tht  name 
of  the  Lord  Jtstis  '  Acis  viii.  16.)  so  that  there  was  a  strange 
defe6i:  eithei  in't]>c  buotisra  itself,  or  in  the  account  we  have 
oHt ;  or  the  mention  of  one  person  in  the  trinity  musi  imply 
the  |/ieseiice,  name,  arc  ai.rhv  .ity,  o\  item  all  ;  as  the  pas- 
sage is  undtrstocd  Iv  Irtnaeus — in  Cbristi  nomi}ii:  si^auditiir. 
oui  iinxit^  ei  qui  HKCtus  est^  et  ipsa  iinciio  in  qua  unctus  est, 
i.  iii.  c.  2C.''*  i.  e.  By  baptism  in  the  name  oi  Christy  is  to 
be  undei  stood,  He,  who  anointed.  He,  who  was  anointed, 
arid  the  anointing  itself  by  which  he  was  anointed:  In  otner 
words,  Father^  Son^  ^\\a  Spirit, 

To  those,  who,  consider  this  point,  in  an  experimental 
view,  the  proofs  increase  from  the  word  of  God,  with  still 
more  abundant  force  and  clearness.  Such,  and  such  only, 
know  truly  what  the  apostle  means,  where  he  introduces  the 
love  and  grace  of  the  whole  trinity  in  two  lines,  and  says, 
that  through  Kim  iChrist]  u^eboth  [Jew  and  Gentile]  have  an 
access  [or  introduction]  by  one  Spirit  unto  the  Father. 
Eph.  ii.  18.  This  Spirit  leads  to  Christ,  and  through  Christ 
carries  up  the  soul  into  communion  with  the  Father ;  so  that, 
by  his  agency,  the  believer  hath  fellowship  with  the  Father 
and  the  Son  in  and  by  the  Spirit.  Here  is  the  very  substance 
and  reality  of  the  Christian  religion,  without  which  all  the 
rest  is  but  name  or  notion.  Upon  this  ground,  the  true  be- 
liever sees  the  importance  of  this  do6\rine,  finds  its  establish- 
ment evidenced  by  the  word  and  carried  into  himself,  and 
that,  but  for  this  doctrine  experimentally  known  and  consi- 
dered, there  could  not  be,  in  fa6r,  any  such  thing  as  the 
Christian  religion  ac  all.  He  holds  communion  by  the  grace 
of  faith,  which  the  divine  Spirit  has  planted  in  his  soul,  with 
all  the  three  persons  at  once  in  their  names,  covenant-en- 
gagements, and  characters,  teds  all  these  gracious  engage- 
ments realized  and  realizing  ivithin  him  ,Luke  x\ii.  21.)  and 
rejoices  that,  as  the  one  essence  is  Jehovah  Almighty,  each 
person  in  this  one  essence  hatli  the  undivided  power,  love 
and  truth  of  the  whole,  and  consequently  is  almighty  to  per- 
form every  promise  and  requirement  foi  his  salvation,  'i'his 
is  the  foundation  of  all  his  jVy  tn  God.  He  is  assured,  that  he 

*  Jones's  Ccr^//(?//c  Z^oc<r/;2e,  p.  57,  3d    edit. 


M  O  S  T     H  I  G  H.  67 

trusts  the  Rock  of  ages^  and  not  the  various  will  and  depend- 
ent power  of  any  creatures.  Upon  the  divine  immutability 
he  builds  his  own  immutability,  and  is  persuaded,  that,  till 
God  himself  change,  he  Iiimself  shall  be  for  ever  unchangea- 
ble. By  this  Holy  Spirit^  all  his  services  and  sacrifices,  of 
prayer  and  praise,  of  heart  and  of  life,  are  carried  up  to  the 
throne  in  heaven,  and  rendered  acceptable  to  the  Faibcr 
through  Christ  Jesus*  Thus  the  three  persons  are  glorified 
in  him  and  by  him;  and  thus,  by  communion  with  each,  he 
enjoys  a  necessary  and  perpetual  communion  with  all. 

This  truth  is  as  old  as  the  regeneration  of  %ie  first  believ- 
er in  the  world.  Cain  and  libsl  were  both  taught  the  know- 
ledge of  the  true  God,  and  were  told,  that  their  worship  was 
due  to  him.  But  the  one  came  with  a  carnal  unrenewed 
heart,  and  (like  the  Pharisee  in  the  temple)  offered  up  the 
fruits  of  his  own  doings,  which  being  utterly  imperfect  and 
defiled  with  sin  in  themselves,  and  offered  up  also  without 
faith,  the  Lord  had  no  respe6i  to  him  or  to  his  ofiering.  On 
the  contrary,  the  other  approached  in  faith  (Heb.  xi.  i\.)  and 
brought^  not  the  product  of  his  own  labor,  but  Kin-^iD:)  even 
bimsdf  bejore  or  'with  the  Yikst-^ot.h  cf  his  fock^  ana  bi^jorc 
or  with  the  fat  thereof^  in  testimony  of  his  reliance  upon  the 
sacrifice  of  i\iQ  great  First-born^  who  should  appear  in  the 
fulness  of  time  for  the  remission  of  sin.  Himself  therefore, 
AND  his  offering  were  respeced^  by  the  Lord.  His  sacrifice 
was  accepted  in  this  view,  and  the  smoke  of  it  ascended  as  a 
s'Mcet  smelling  savour  (speaking  according  to  the  sense  of  men) 
before  God. — When  Noah  came  forth  from  the  ark,  in  which 
he  had  been  saved  by  figure  or  similitude  ;  the  first  thing  he 
tlid  was  to  commemorate  the  means  of  his  typified  salvation. 
He  built  an  altar  unto  the  LoiCD^  and  took  of  every  clean  beast ^ 
andofe-jery  clean  fovjl  nby  br^l  ^-nd  caused  an  holocaust^  a  sa- 
crifice ascending  by  fire,  to  ascend^  upon  the  altar.  This  he 
did,  like  Abel^  in  faitb  of  that  great  sacrifice  Christy  who, 
through  the  eternal  Spirit^  was  to  offer  up  himself  Mnto  God. 
The  sacrifice  was  typical  of  the  Redeemer  ;  and  the  ascent 
by  fire  represented  the  operation  of  the  divine  Spirit,  who  a- 
lone  carries  up  the  intention  and  effect  before  the  throne. 
The  next  verse  proves  this,  where  it  is  immediately  added^ 
The  Lord  smtiicd a  savour  of  rest^  according  to  OMr'rncr^inal 
translation;  but  there  is  a  force  and  precision  in  the  ori«"i- 
nal,  wh:ch  the  translation,  either  in  the  text  or  margin,  doth 
not  reach.     The  Lord  n^n-nx  n-.^  inhaled^  spiritually  receiv- 

*  Theodotion  renders  the  word  yu;^  by  lysirvpt^s,  injiamed,  ansv/ered 
hyf.refron:  heaven,  in  token  of  acceptance.  To  whicli  the  aposile 
has  been  tliou^^htto  aiJude  in  Heu.  xi.  4.  God  TKsTirviNG  of  his 
gifts.  Span:;.  Ili^i.  Chrst.  sjcc.  ii.  p.  661.  See  ai'io  2  Chron.  viii. 
1.  and  EsTivs  in  Gen.  iv.  4. 


M  O  S  T     H  I  G  li.  6S 

^dj  or  received  by  the  Spirit,  the  breathings  the  aspiration 
of  rests  or  or  his  own  Spirit,  which  ascended  up  in  that  em- 
biematic  sacrifice  before  him.  The  sacrifice  was  slain  ;  and 
so  Christ  was  killed. — It  might  be  slain  under  the  law  by 
strangers,  but  ofTered  only  by  the  priest;  and  so  Christ  wa's 
crucified  by  tlic  Gentiles,  but  he  offered  v.^  his  own  life  as  the 
great  lligii-priest. — It  v/as  to  ascend  by  fire,  by  which  only 
the  ])ai  tides  of  air  or  any  other  substance  can  ascend  from 
the  earth ;  and  so  the  merit  of  the  sacrifice  and  the  faith  of 
the  believer  in  it,  as  so  much  spirit  and  life^  are  made  to  a- 
scend  before  tJH  throne  of  heaven  by  that  eternal  Spirit^ 
whose  subtle  and  invincible  energy,  under  the  similitude  of 
firCs  is  engaged  for  that  purpose.  The  apostle  gives  the  ef- 
ie6c  of  this  eniulem  in  plain  words:  He  that  searcheth  the 
htartSs  kno^iuelh  ivhcn^  is  toe  7?iind  of  the  Spirit ;  because  be 
inaketJj  intercession  for  the  saints  according  to  the  ivillofGods 
cr  according  to  God.  Pvom.  viii.  27.  The  same  mystical  rite 
was  continued  under  the  JeivJsh  dispensation  which  was  on- 
ly a  clearer  illumination  of  th^ patriarchal  services.  It  was  : 
not  a  ne-jj  religion,  but  a  fuller  and  farther  manifestation  of 
tlie  old.  The  Jews  v/ere  to  sacrifice  these  holocausts^  burnt- 
offerings  or  sacrifices  as:ending  by  fire,  /;:  all  the- place  (says 
the  Lord)  'i^hich  I  mzke  the  memorial  of  my  name  (Exod.  xx. 
f^.)  and  there  he  would  come  unto  them  and  bless  them..  They 
were  to  carry  on  the  dofirine,  that  as  the  ascent  of  the  sa- 
crifice could  only  be  made  by  fire  in  the  emblem^  so  their  faith 
in  the  great  sao'Ifice  could  only  be  raised  by  the  Spirit  in  the 
/rM*-6  of  tlie  emblem.  Th<i\r  bea-oe-oj^e rings'^  expressed  this- 
great  truth  in  another  form,  and  shewed  that  their  bread^  of 
which  tliis  kind  of  oTering  was  made,  came  from  the  Lord, 
rhould  be  devoted  to  his  glory,  and  that  they  should  lift  up 
their  hands  and  hearts  unto  him. — In  the. Christian  dispensi- 
tlon,  the  emblem  indeed  is  taken  away,  because  the  sacrific^e 
intended  by  u,    is   accomplished;  but  the  idea  and  do6lrine 

*  The  Jied\)e~oJj'erings  and  the  li'ave-ojferings^  under  the  law,  had 
their  resne'live  do::lrines,  and  preached  to  the  antient  believers  the 
necessity  o!:  their  acknowledging  God  to  be  the  author  of  all  their 
pox:>ers  and  Lessin^s,  The  shoulder  in  the  sacrifices  was  appointed 
for  the  nD^nrt  or  Jwa-ve.oj'ering,  and  the  dreast  for  the  HiJlin  or  ivcte- 
^J^^^W*  ^'"d  both  were  the  portion  of  the  priests  ;  as  God's  agents 
or  representatives.  The  priests  were  to  A^vi-e  cr  held  v.p  the  one 
towards  heaven,  in  testimony,  that  all  service,  and  power  to  render 
service,  exprcsncd  by  the  slioulder,  as  the  instrument  of  a6lion  or 
I  ibor,  came  from  and  should  be  devoted  to  God;  and  they  were  to 
'rave  the  other  backward  and  forward  to  the  four  j^arts  of  the  world, 
ir  token  that  the  purposes  and  afleclions,  signifuid  by  x.\\i  breast^  are 
j;iven  by  him  to  his  people,  respccling  salvation,  and  should  there- 
fore be  spread  out  before  him  and  laid  out  for  l:ini. 


M  O  S  T    H  I  G  H.  69 

are  the  same."*  Christ  is  the  great  holocaust  ©f  his  church, 
that  sacrifice  slain,  burned,  and  ascending  by  fire  unto  the 
Lord,  He  offered  tip  hi7nselfivithout  spot ,-  yet  not  alone,  but 
(as  the  great  commentator  upon  the  Jt'wish  ritual  explains 
it)  through  the  Eternal  Spirit,  of  whom  the  fire  was  an  in- 
stituted emblem.  God  receives  by  this  Spirit  the  propitia- 
tion of  Christ  the  sacrifice  ;  and  his  people  become  thereby, 
with  all  their  services,  (according  to  the  language  of  the  Old 
Testament  which  the  apostle  uses,  and,  by  using,  e?tplains) 
a  sweet  savour  of  Christ  unto  God.  Compare  2  Cor.  ii.  15. 
with  Eph.  V.  1* 

Here,  then,  we  are  to  come  the  proper  office-charafler 
of  this  Most  High  and  Holy  Spirit,  and  may  perceive, 
that  as  one  of  the  divine  persons  must  be  God  Most  High,  to 
atone  and  merit  for  the  redeemed  ;  so  it  is  needful,  that  ano- 
tber  of  the  divine  persons  should  car7-y  up  the  memorial  of 
this  before  the  throne,  and  apply  the  benefit  of  it  to  their 
Souls.  Here  too  we  may  learn,  what  our  Lord  means,  when 
he  says,  710  man  bath  ascended  up  to  Heaven^  but  he  that  came 
do'wnfroni  Heaven^  eDeii  the  Son  of  man,  ^hicb  is  in  Heaven. 
John  iii.  13.  "No  man,  but  the  God-man,  could  ascend  as  a 
propitiation  before  the  throne,  even  He  \YhQ  cams  down  from" 
Heaven  for  that  purpose,  and  who,  respecting  his  divine  na- 
ture, is  ever  in  Heaven.  We  may  also  learn  hence  another 
most  important,  yet  often  forgotten,  truth  ;  that  no  service 
of  our's  can  ascend  up  to  God,  but  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  by  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  We  have  no  recommendation,  and- 
ean have  none,  which  will  be  accepted,  but  Christ :  We  have 
no  strength  or  grace,  and  can  have  none,  but  by  the  operati- 
on of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Thus  one  person  in  the  Most  High 
must  lead  us,  through  another^  up  to  the  third ;  in  which  a6l 
we  have  communion  with  the  whole,  and,  hereafter,  when  we 
have  parted  with  sin  and  corruption,  shall  have  an  uninter- 
rupted and  perfect  enjoyment  of  the  whole  to  all  eternity. 
This  is  the  true  reception  of  the  Christian  do6lrine  of  the 
Trinity  ;  and,  without  it,  all  the  rest  is  but  as  idle  a  subje<5V 
of  dispute,  as  the  quidlibets  and  quodlibcts  of  the  schools. 

This  Spirit  Most  High'  raises  his  people  to  the  high  and- 
holy  place,  which  his  own  word  hath  set  before  them.  There 
is  no  possession  of  grace,  nor  progression  in  grace,  but  by 
him.  He  instills  heavenly  thoughts  ;  he  imparts  heavenly 
frames  ;  he  carries  on  the  heavenly  work  in  the  soul,  which 

*  To  this  effect  Gregory  excellently  says  ;  Una  est  ecclesia  elector 
rum,  pn^cedenttwn  et  sequentiiim.  Antiqui patres  non  divisi  a  S.  Eccle- 
sia fuerunt  ;  quia  meiite,  opere,  pradictione^  isfa  jam  Jidei  sacramenta 
temierunt,  S^ic.  Apud  Spanh.  Hist.  Christ.  s»c=  vi.  col.  1065, 

Vol,  n.  K 


^(5  M  O  S  T    H  I  C  H. 

is  to  priepare  it  for  an  eternal  heaven  and  for  God.  This  H 
called,  and  justly  called,  ascending  to  heaven  in  the  mind, 
and  ihe  raising  up  of  the  aiteclions  to  things  above.  All  this 
is  performed  by  the  power  of  the  Spirit  Most  Wgb.  Believ» 
ers,  under  the  old  Testament,  were  privileged  to  ii^ait  upon 
the  Lord  for  a  remoialoftoeir  strength^  and  to  mount  up  'uo'tb 
'iifirigs  as  eagles.  Is.  40.  31.  They  could  not  rise  upwards 
of  themselves  in  their  souls,  more  than  in  their  bodies  ;  but 
the  Spirits^  who  is  described  here  under  the  well-known  em- 
blem of  the  swings  of  the  eaghy  would  bear  them  aloft  to  his 
holy  habitation^  It  is  his  oiHce  to  do  this.  When  Ezekiel 
was  lifted  up^  it  was  by  the  spirit  ;  and,  by  the  spirit^  was 
Fbilip  carried  through  the  air  from  the  Eunuch  to  Azotus  : 
And  v/hat  he  did  for  their  bodies^  he  doth  for  tf//his  people's 
souls.  Hq  beareth  them  on  high.  From  this  sinful  and  pe- 
rishing world  he  lilts  them  up  to  heaven,  and  never  fails  to 
bless  them  all  the  way  thither.  In  this  consists  the  bcahb  of 
the-  soul  ;  and  it  is  remarkable,  that  the  word  ri^\T\^  which 
signifivis  medicine^  or  actual  beatings  or  beaitb  procured  by 
medicine^  is  derived  from  the  same  root.  Man's  nature,  in 
falling  from  God,  became  sick  and  diseased  both  in  body  and 
eoul.  The  Holy  Spirit  works  this  healing  in  the  soul,  purges 
out  its  corrupt  and  sinful  alTecSlions,  and  establishes  it  finally 
in  the  perfection  of  life.  There  is  neither  health,  nor  in- 
crease of  health,  without  him.  What  a  blow  doth  this  truth 
give  to  all  the  pride,  and  power,  and  presumption  of  man  !  It 
siays  unrighteousness  and  self-righteousness  at  once.  It 
she'.vs  that  there  is  no  life,  nor  health,  nor  strength,  nor 
activity,  nor  will,  nor  any  oiher  principle  of  grace  and  truth, 
in  any  creature,  but  by  his  immediate  inspiration  and  **  con- 
tinual help."  When  the  soul  is  brought  to  an  experimental 
acquainta/ice  with  this  dodrine  (and  all  God's  people,  more 
or  less,  do  experience  it,)  there  is  an  end  of  all  strife  in  the 
conscience,  respe(3,ing  free-will,  free-agency,  inherent  power, 
and  those  other  absurd  opinions,  which  the  foolish  and  igno- 
rant pride  of  fallen  man  hath  prepared  (like  so  many  empty 
bladders  upon  the  sea)  to  swim  by  into  eternity.  The  be- 
liever sees,  that  though,  like  blown  bladders  they  se«m  large 
and  round,  and  full  ;  they  are  only  empty  fancies,  or  do6lrines 
swelled  out  of  measure  with  air.  They  are  winds  of  doctrine^ 
and  dotlrines  of  wind.  They  have  neither  life,  nor  truth, 
nor  pov/er :  And  this  is  evident  in  those  who  espouse  them. 
They,  for  the  most  part,  are  strenuous  contenders  for  these 
iiiatters  ;  but  do  nothing  but  talk  in  honor  of  them.  The  es- 
tablished church  is  become  heterodox,  in  the  opinion  of  thou- 
aands  of  its  members,  and  it  would  be  happy  if  it  were  not  so 
in  the  esteem  of  many  of  its  ministers  too  ;  especially  where, 
ehc  declares,  that  *^  the  condition  of  man,  after  the  fall  of 


M  O  S  T    H  I  0  H.  71 

**  AJaMy  IS  such,  that  be  cannot  turn  and  prepare  himself 
*'  by  his  own  natuial  strength  and  good  works  to  faith, 
**  and  calling  upon  God  :  Wherefore  we  bavcno  povier  to  do 
*'  gooi  works,  pleasant  and  acceptable  to  Gr.%  withoir;  che 
*^  grace  of  God  by  Christ  preventing  us,  that  we  n.ay  hive  a 
**  good  will,  and  working  with  us  when  (diim  while'  wc  iiive 
*'  that  good  will."  Art.  x.  Alas',  how  many  subscribe  to 
this  S3und  formulary  e  contra^  instead  oi  ex  anhno^  and  iave 
the  effrontery  to  justify  it  too  !  what  a  wretched  salvo  do  liity 
also  make,  who  divide  the  articles  into  two  contrary  sens,  s, 
and  cause  them  to  appear,  deceitful  and  monst.-oiis  like  ^he 
devil,  with  a  cloven  foot ;  who  set  the  church  at  variance  'v;.h 
itself,  and  force  it  to  blow  hot  and  cold,  to  vent  error  a;id 
truch,  in  the  sine  breath  \-^Piidet  bac  opprobr-a  .lobi:,^ 

By  this  Highest  of  all  the  spirits  of  the  just  are  finally 
made  perfect.  They  are  fitted  for  their  mansions,  and  their 
mansions  for  them,  by  his  agency.  What  these  mansions  are 
we  know  not,  and  in  this  state  oi  sensQ  we  cannot  know  ;  be- 
oa.use  they  are  spiritual  receptacles  for  the  residence  of  saved 
spirits  to  the  judgment  day  ;  and  we  do  not  understand  the 
nature  of  a  spiritual  existence.  But,  hereafter,  w^  sbaliAnoWy 
tven  as  also  m)e  are  Jknown.  In  the  mean  time,  however,  we 
may  be  sure,  that,  as  nothing  defiled  can  enter  into  heaven, 
our  spirits  shall  be  purified  by  that  Spirit  of  Burning,  through 
whom  our  forerunner  and  sacrifice  offered  up  himself  without 
spot  unto  God,  and  in  whom  we  shall  be  unbla?nea6le  anduti' 
reproveable  in  his  sight.  Thus  the  Most  High  raiseth  his 
his  people,  from  death  to  life,  from  sin  to  grace,  from  grace 
to  gl-)ry,  and  then  frotn  glory  to  glory ^  world  without  end, 
Wnat  ?nanner  of  love  is  this  i  Can  sinners  know  I  Can  angels 
tell  I 

Angels  cannot  tell  the  manner;  but  recovered  sinners 
know  the  love*  They  have  tasted  that  the  Lord  is  gracious  ; 
and  they  know  that  taste,  though  they  cannot  fully  explain 
it.  And  this  thou  canst  testify,  O  believer,  for  thyself,  and. 
for  others.  Thine  bands  have  bandied  of  the  '{ii  or  Id  of  life  : 
Tny  spiritual  sensj  has  been  exercised  wiih  its  perception  : 
Thou  hast  been  led  to  communion  with  the  highest,  by  the 
fellowship  of  the  Spirit  Most  High*  i  John  i.  1—3.  This 
hath  taught  thee  to  make  a  right  estimate  of  thyself,  and  of 
all  sublunary  things  ;  so  that  thou  art  no  longer  a  slave  to  the 
opinions  and  customs  of  the  world,  which  exalts  low  and 
trifling  matters,  and  turns  away  from  the  most  momentous 
and  important  concerns— from  concerns,  which  with  ail  its 
madness  and  folly,  it  will  allow  to  be  important  and  moment- 
ous. The  acquisition  of  temporal  things,  what  is  it,  after 
all,  but  an  argument  of  poverty  and  want  .^  Men  court  ho- 
!)or5,  titles,  dignities  :  And  what  are  these  ?— The  empty  a4' 


73  M  O  S  T    H  I  G  H. 

miration  of  the  croud  I  And  then,  what  becomes  of  that  ad.- 
miration,  when  the  croud  is  no  more  ?*  All  these  things,  as 
they  begin,  do  quickly  end  in  a  sound.  But  the  possession 
of  grace  is  not  only  happiness,  so  far  as  it  is  used,  but  the 
pledge  of  ^;z  enduring  substance^  oS.  joys  unspeakable  and  full 
oj  glory.  In  thy  right  frame,  fellow-christian,  thou  hast  set 
this  present  world  in  view  of  the  world  to  come,  and  conapar- 
ed  them  well  together.  The  balance  of  the  account  is,  mil- 
lions against  nothing,  in  favour  of  eternity.  Hence,  thou 
canst  account  it  to  be  but  a  poor  business  to  be  wise,  and  rich 
andreputablcjonly  for  a  season  and  in  man's  deceived  esteem; 
and,  thea,  to  be  found  foolish,  and  poor,  and  base,  through- 
out the  never-ending  ages.  An  heathen  could  justly  say,  re,- 
spe(5ling  this  world  ;  ''  he  most  enjoys  riches,  who  wants  them 
least  :'*f  But  this  cannot  be  said  of  the  world  to  come;  for 
the  riches  of  eternity  are  indispensable,  and  the  soul  must 
be  miserable  in  the  extreme,  which  doth  not  possess  them. 
He,  who  doth  not  obtain  the  inheritance  of  the  Most  High, 
must  be  thrust  down  to  the  lowest  hell.  Thus  thine  esti- 
mate is  formed,  according  to  the  extent  and  perpetuity  o{  ihj^ 
object,  and  not  according  to  the  world^s  advertisement^  which 
is  ever  fallacious.  Even  the /?/^<2[§-^  of  thy  future  portion  is 
not  to  be  exchanged  for  all,  that  the  world  contains ;  and 
much  less  for  what  any  one  poor  worm  can  possess  upon 
it.  And  if  this  pledge  cannot  be  bartered  without  loss; 
where  is  the  gain,  if,  tor  any  thing  or  for  all  things,  a  man 
throw  away  the  eternal  felicity  of  his  soul  ? 

How  often  doth  thy  hearty  O  believer,  burn  iJOLtbin  tbee 
upon  the  prospe^l  of  the  glory,  which  shall  soon  be  revealed! 
The  Spirit  Most  High  will  cause  thee  to  ascendholh.  to  the 
holiest  and  to  the  highest  of  all ;  and  even  now  often  bears 
thee  up,  above  the  world  and  all  dying  things,  in  the  contem- 
plation of  these  transcendent  blessings.  When  thy  frame  is 
quick  and  lively,  much  with  God,  or  much  employed  for  him  ; 
v/hat  a  man  out  of  the  world  dost  thou  feel  thyself?  Thou 
seemest  to  be  living  in  another  element,  upon  a  different  bot- 
tom, and  upon  a  higher  principle,  at  such  moments,  than  ani- 
mal nature  can  know,  or  animal  sense  inspire.  Thy  enjoy- 
ment is  pure  and  exalted,  like  the  complacency  of  heaven. 
Then  all  thy  heavenly  graces  flow.  "•  Faith  says,  all  these 
wonders  belong  to  believers  ;  hope  cries,  tliey  then  are  pre- 
served    for  me ;     and  love  adds,  1    run    to  enjoy  them. "J 

*  Acquis i t io  liuj us  sceciiU^  qnid^  nisi  inopi^  et  paiipertatis  argumen- 

tiim?  Affectamus  etiam  honorcs^titulosy  dignitates :  hac  quid?  nisiva- 

na  admiratievul  'i :  et  qualis  ista^  si  desit  villus  ?  MoRN.de  ver-  rel. 

c/;r.  c.  18. 

ils  maxims  di-jitiis fruitiir^qui  minimc  divitiis  /wa?/^'c?.SENECA.Ep.  14. 

\  Bernaud*  in  Ps.  xc. 


M  O  S  T    H  I  G  H.  73 

Blessed  be  God  I  Thou  shalt  enjoy  them.  God  never  gave  a 
gracious  desire,  but  to  fulfill  it  with  grace,  and  to  crown  it 
with  glory.  Ha  is  faithful^  viho  hatb  promised:  And  heaven 
and  earth  shall  sooner  pass  away,  than  one  tittle  of  his  word 
can  fail.  Thou  hast  an  unchangeable  God,  "jjhose  gifts  arid 
calli7igs  are  .ivitbout  repentance,  who  never  gave  grace  to  be 
lost,  and  never  quickened  for  heaven,  to  furnish  for  hell. 
What  consolation,  what  strong  consolation  arises  from  this 
glorious  immutability  of  thy  Covenant-Lord  !  Sensible  oF  thy 
own  weakness  and  blindness,  this  is  the  very  elenchus,  the 
force,  the  life,  and  the  marrow,  of  the  gospel  to  thee.  Take 
away  this  ;  and  O  what  a  gloom  1  What  a  melancholy  horror 
appears  !  All  is  darky  because  all  is  doubtful.  All  v/ould  be 
distressing,  if  the  success  of  any  part  depended  upon  thee. 
The  sense  of  thy  incapacity,  the  power  of  thine  enemies,  and 
the  very  weight  of  glory  itself,  would  sink  thee  down  to  dis- 
pair.  Thou  hast  an  argument  for  the  Spirit'' s  divinity,  which 
the  careless  and  the  carnal  professor  cannot  know,  and  feeU 
est  in  thy  soul  (not  merely  fanciest  in  thy  head)  that  nothing 
but  the  invincible  strength  of  the  Most  High  is  able  to  quell 
■such  a  wide  combination  of  evil,  and  to  preserve,  amidst  all, 
to  the  full  introdu6lion  and  establishment  of  eternal  good. 
Nothing  revives  thee  more,  than  the  demonstration  afforded 
by  his  word  without  thee,  and  his  grace  within  thee,  that  this 
invincible  and  immutable  God  is  engaged  to  bless,  keep,  and 
multiply  his  mercies  upon  thee  without  alteration,  without 
remission,  and  without  end.  O  how  delightful  is  it  to  be  as- 
sured, agreeable  to  those  excellent  lines  of  Dr.  Watts,  that 

TJbe  sacred  ivord  of  grace  is  strongs 

As  that  ^ohicb  built  the  skies  : 
The  veice,  \\)hicb  rolls  tbe  stars  along. 

Spake  all  tbe  promises. 
Engraved,  as  in  eternal  brass. 

The  mighty  promise  shines  ; 
Nor  can  tbe  powers  of  darkness  raze 

Those  everlasting  lines, 

-"  I  may  be  faint  and  weary  (says  the  believer,)  but  my  God 
cannot.  I  may  alter  and  flu(5luate,  as  to  my  frames  ;  but  my 
Redeemer  is  unchangeably  the  same.  I  might  utterly  fail  and 
come  to  nothing,  if  left  to  myself;  but  I  cannot  be  left  to 
myself,  for  the  Spirit  of  truth  hath  said,  /  ^vill  never  leave 
thee,  nor  fsrsake  tbee*  He  will  renew  my  strength,  either  by 
changing  my  weakness  into  strength,  or  by  enduing  me  with 
bis  oivn  power.  He  is  wise  to  foresee  and  to  provide  for  all 
XOy  dangers  :  He  is  rich  to  relieve  and  to  succour  me  in  all 
my  wants :    He  is  gracious  to  hear  and  answer  all  my  pray- 


74  M  O  S  T    H  I  G  H. 

crs  ;  He  is  omnipotent  to  deliver  and  defend  me  from  all  my 
enemies  :  He  is  faithful  to  perfe6l  and  perform  all  his  own 
promises  : "  He  is  eternal  and  immortal  to  bless  my  poor  de- 
pending soul,  with  eternal  blessedness  and  immortality.  O 
what  a  great  and  glorious  Saviour  for  such  a  mean  and  worth- 
less sinner  1  ()  what  a  bountiful  and  graciously  indulgent 
friend  for  such  a  base  and  insignificant  rebel  I  What,  what 
am  I,  when  I  compare  myself  and  all  I  am  of  myself,  with 
what  I  can  conceive  of  my  God,  and  of  what  He  hath  kindly 
promised  even  to  me  !  What  a  mystery  am  1,  to  myself,  to 
angels,  to  men  !  A  worm  of  earth  to  be  like  a  star  of  hea- 
ven ;  a  corruptible  sinner  to  be  an  incorruptible  saint  ;  a 
rel  ei  to  be  made  a  child  ;  an  outlaw  to  become  an  heir  ;  a 
deserver  of  hell  to  be  an  inheritor  of  heaven  ;  a  stronghold 
of  the  devil  to  be  changed  into  a  temple  of  God  ;  an  enemy 
and  a  beggar  to  be  exalted  to  a  throne,  to  be  in  friendship 
with  God,  one  with  Christ,  a  possessor  of  his  Spirit,  and  of 
all  this  honour,  happiness,  and  glory,  for  evermore  ;  and  all 
without  any  right  to  any  one  thing  on  my  part,  but  the  mis» 
eries  of  the  lowest  heli  I  O  what  7nan?i€r^  and  what  tnatter^ 
of  love  is  this  1  Lord,  take  my  heart,  my  soul,  my  all  I  I  can 
render  thee  no  m.ore  :  ana  I  v/ould  render  thee  no  less.  'Tis 
indeed  a  poor  return.  My  body  and  soul  are  but  tiuo  mitesj 
and  yet  (glory  be  to  thee  I)  Thou  who  didst  esteem  tbose  of 
the  poor  widow,  wilt  not  despise  fbese  of  mine.  Lord,  they 
are  thine  own  too  ;  And  I  can  only  give  thee  what  is  thine  ! 
I  melt  with  gratitude ;  and  even  this  gratitude  is  thy  gift. 
O  take  it,  and  accept  both  it  and  me  ;  blessing  me  in  thyself, 
which  is  all  my  salvation  and  all  iny  desire,  for  ever  and  ever  I" 
May  this  be  the  language  of  thy  heart,  reader,  with  in- 
creasing fervor,  till  thou  art  translated  from  this  sickening, 
dying  scene,  to  the  life  immortal,  to  the  joys  ineffable,  and, 
above  all,  to  the  King  eternal,  who  having  loved  his  own, 
with  an  everlasting  love,  will  love  them  to  the  end  on  earth, 
and  world  without  end  in  heaven  I 


HOLYSPIRIT,  75 


►  :->s-:i 


HOLY    SPIRIT, 

0  R, 

SPIRIT    OF   HOLINESS. 


THAT  Godis  a  Spirityis  agreed  en  by  every  one  v/ho  believs 
there  is  a  God  at  all.  Even  those,  who  have  maintain- 
ed the  grossest  opinions  of  his  nature,  have  allowed  that  he 
must  at  least  be  th^i  A^iima  Mundi^tht  SoulorSpirit  of  the  uni- 
verse, which  pervades  the  whole  material  system,  and  unites, 
invigorates,  and  moves  all  corpuscular  being.  What  Spinoza 
and  the  whole  tribe  of  atheists  term  7tature^  is,  when  they  ex- 
plain themselves,  visible  substance  enlivened  and  energized 
by  an  invisible  one,  which  they  allow  is  too  subtle  for  eense, 
and  therefore  is  called  by  the  name  oi  Spirit.  The  heathens 
were  full  as  knowing  as  our  modern  philosophers  about  this 
sublime  subje(5t;  and  the  most  ignorant  are  just  as  wise  as 
both  of  them,  without  a  light  superior  to  reason.  The  me- 
morable words  of  Virgil  (hov/ever  he  obtained  the  idea)  are 
as  expressive  as  any  heathens  of  later  times,  and,  because 
fewer,  much  less  impertinent.  He  says  of  the  whole  crea- 
tion, that 

Spiritus  intus  alit ;  totamque  infusa  per  artus 
Mens  agitat  molem^  et  magna-. se  corpora  miscct.^ 

J^n,  vi.  726. 

Here  mindznd  spirit  zre  synonimous,  which  he  represents  as 
pervading  and  a«5luating  all  things  :  And  in  another  place, 
he  calls  this  agent  Goc/.\ 

*  See  Macrooius's  comment  upon  these  words,  in  Somn,  Scip,  lib* 
1.  c.  14.  where  he  coUeds  the  sentiments  of  the  antient  philoso^ 
phers  on  this  matter. 

t        '    ■      Terras  f  Tr  actus  que  Mar:  3^  Caram^iie  profundum 

Ueor^.  iv.  221. 


^6  H  0  L  Y    S  P  I  R  I  t'. 

As  we  can  know  nothing  by  ourselves  but  through  the  rae= 
dium  o£  sense,  which  likewise  can  perceive  nothing  but  what 
has  relation  to  ??iatter  ;  v/e  have  no  real  comprehension  of 
pure  abstracted  Sfyirit^  further  than  we  can  conceive  any 
substance  or4)€ing  to  be  t;!?/^  of  matter.  We  therefore  un- 
derstand rather  what  it  is  not^  than  what  it  is.  But  if  we 
could  form  a  notion  of  what  it  is,  we  must  yet  be  more  puz- 
zled about  the  modus  exlstcndl^  or  bov)  it  is,  than  we  are  al- 
ready upcn  the  existence  of  material  objeds.  Our  senses 
discern  these,  as  to  their  being  and  reality  ;  and  yet  neither 
our  s-:ises  nor  intellect  can  investigate  their  mode  and  com- 
position. Thus  ignorant  is  man  concerning  the  plainest  sub- 
jects before  his  eyes  ;  and  with  the  wisest  of  the  heathens,  he 
may  truly  in  this  strictness  of  consideration,  confess,  that  be 
knovis  nothing.  The  philosopher  was  wise  enough  to  know 
that:  some  later  heathens  have  thought,  on  the  contrary; 
that  they  could  soar  much  higher  ;  and  some  have  aimed  so 
high  as  even  to  define  God  himself,  not  considering  that  he  is 
necessarily  indefinable,  Socrates  owned  his  ignorance  ;  but 
these  men  prove  their's  ;  for,  while  they  tell  us  God  is  an 
infinite  being,  they  Uviit  him  by  their  conceptions  and  Out  of 
their  own  heads,  expressly  lay  down,  %vbat  he  is,  and  how  he 
is  ;  nay,  what  and  how  he  must  be.  O  the  folly  of  man, 
whose  whole  being  is  but  an  atom,  and  his  life  a  moment,  and 
who  yet  pretends  to  comprehend  incomprehensibility  itself, 
and  to  set  bounds  to  the  Most  High  !  Whereas  God  cannot  be 
defined^  because  to  define  is  to  limit  ;  and  to  limit  infinitude 
is  an  absurdity.  Names  are  ascribed  to  him  indeed,  and  at- 
tributes, not  as  they  fully  express  his  nature,  which  is  inex- 
pressible, but  as  they  convey  some  faint  notices  of  his  exalt-' 
ed  perfe6tions,  sufficient  to  preserve  the  mind  from  vain  ima- 
gin?.tions  or  gross  conceptions  of  his  being. 

The  word  or  revelation  of  God  turns  upon  a  very  different 
principal.  It  lays  down  as  a  fixed  and  absolute  truth,  that 
man  knows  nothing  of  God,  nothing  of  Spiritual  being,  and 
(what  is  more  humbling  yet)  nothing  of  himself,  without 
God's  instru6lion.  Upon  this  ground,  among  others,  we  ap- 
prehend the  necessity  of  a  divine  revelation,  and  can  perceive,, 
that  if  our  notions  of  God,  of  the  universe,  and  of  ourselves, 
are  not  taken  from  this  his  own  communication  ;  they  at  best 
must  be  uncertain,  and  are  most  probably y^/j^.  To  say,  that- 
God  hath  given  us  reason  to  discern  the  true  from  the  errO' 
neous,  and  that  all  our  ideas  must  be  squared  by  that  rule, 
is  only  saying  at  the  most,  that  we  have  obtained  a  capacity 
to  receive  ideas  upon  the  subje6t,  not  to  originate  them,  and 
2i  pO'xer  to  reject  what  our  inteilc6lual  sense  does  not  approve  . 
cr  delight  in.  But  if,  upon  proof,  this  capacity  of  ours,  this 
boasted  reason,  be  a  mutilati;d  energy  and  a  perverted  prin- 


SPIRIT    or    HOLINESS.  7; 

t'lple  ;  it  can  be  trusted  no  farther,  than  itself  is  squared  by 
some  more  perfe6l  rule  ;  for,  otherwise,  in  the  disquisition 
of  things,  and  especially  of  those  which  transcend  all  animal 
sensation,  it  can  afford  us  no  certain  and  infallible  conclusi- 
ons ;  and  if  not  such  conclusions,  then  only  can  it  lead  us  into 
inextricable  doubt.  Of  this  we  have  a  demonstrable  proof 
in  the  endless  variety  of  opinions,  which  men  form  upon  all 
SubjeiSls  ;  yet  they  will  all  profess,  that  their  respeClive  no- 
tions are  founded  in  reason^  This  proves  the  error  of  that 
boasted  faculty,  and  the  impossibility  of  its  being  a  riile^  es- 
pecially in  things  which  are  above  human  nature,  or  v/hich 
lelate  to  the  divine.  Reason  here  becomes  irrational,  if  it 
presume  to  steer  without  chart  or  compass,  and  even  con^ 
demns  its  own  advocates  in  reje<Sting  him  and  his  declarati- 
ons, who,  as  the  great  author  of  reason,  cannot  be  supposed 
to  a6l  without  it.*  We  may  not  see  the  ivbole  of  his  reason, 
because  our  participation  of  it  would  be  finite,  if  it  v/ere  not 
corrupt ;  but  we  may  be  assured,  that  it  must  be  right,  and 
infinitely  right,  because  God  is  infinite,  and  can  utter  no 
wrongs 

In  condescension  to  our  capacities,  God  hath  revealed 
himself  under  names  and  notices,  which  may  best  strike  our 
senses,  the  channel  of  all  our  reasonings,  and  the  medium 
by  which  we  know.  He  calls  himself  by  the  word  Spirit^ 
which  refers  to  aij-  or  breath,  or  that  subtle  fruid,  by  the  res- 
piration of  which  all  things  live  ;  because  it  is  a  siibstance  of 
the  most  subtile  and  refined  exility  or  nature,  v/hich  our 
sense  can  discern.  Analogous  to  this  air  or  breath  in  the  a- 
nimal  life  is  the  ALMIGHTY  SPIRIT,  by  which  all  spi- 
ritual  beings  exist  and  proceed.  What  the  air  in  motion,  is 
to  the  material  world  ;  that  (as  we  learn  from  his  own  reve- 
lation) is  the  divine  Spirit  to  the  whole  spiritual  v;orld.  We 
can  ascend  no  higher  than  this  notion  of  his  existence,  and 

*  Lord  Bacon  excellently  says  ;  PrcSrogativa  Dei  toturn  hominem 
complect itur :  nee  minus  n.^  rationem  qiiam  ad  voluntatem  humanarii 
extenditur,  ^lare,  sicut  Isgi  divina  obedire  tenemur,  licet  reiuctetur  vo- 
luntas ;  ita  et  verba  Dei  Jidsm  habere,  licet  reluctetiir  ratio.  Etenim  si 
ea  dwitaxat  credamus  qucs  sunt  raiioni  nostra  consentcnea,  rebus  adsen^ 
timur,  nan  au6lori :  quod  etiam  suspects Jidei  testibzis prxstare  solemiis, 
^anto  i^itur  mysterinm  aliqiiod  divinumfuerit  magis  absonum  et  incre^ 
dible,  tanto  plus  in  credendo  exhibetiir  honoris  Deo,  et  Jit  victoria  Jidei 
nobilior. — '^tin  etiam,  si  attente  rem  perpendamus,  dignius  quiddam  est 
credere  quam  scire,  qualiter  scimus.  In  scientia  enim  mens  humana 
patitur  a  sensu,  qui  a  rebus  materiatis  rjj;7/f  :  in  fide  autem  anima 
patitur  ab  anima,  qux  est  agcns  nobilius.  Da  Augm.  Scient.  lib.  ix. 
De  hisplura  apud  Witsium  in  Exercit.  d«  usu  et  abusu  rationis* 

V^ol.'  II,  L 


:o  HOLY     SPIRIT,     o^ 

Mi  coniiiinuicution  of  it.  Our  senses  are  confined  to  matter, 
c.nJ,  at  present,  prevent  us.  Only  when  we  are  disembodied 
Ciin  ive  knovj  cuen  as  lui?  ure  inoivn.  This  will  be  truly  seeing 
ih;  f:;ce  of  God,  and  enjoying  his  presence.  V/e  shall  liave 
-mother  manner  pf  being,  and,  of  course,  a  different  compre- 
■lension  of  all  things.  In  this  world  it  is  not  necessary  for 
us  to  know  more  than  God  hath  been  pleased  to  reveal :  And, 
upon  the  ground  of  his  revelation,  we  cannot  be  mistaken, 
because  he  cannot  deceive, 

God,  then,  is  a  Spirit  ;  and,  consequently,  the  three  hy- 
postases or  persons,  in  which  He  exists,  must  be,  distin^Uy, 
.':id  conjuiiCily,  Spirit  too.  God,  otherwise,  would  not  be 
■hat  pure  and  uncompounded  being,  which  he  hath  revealed 
liimself  to  be.  He  is  pure  Spirit,  because  pure  a6l.  Each 
person  in  the  divine  nature,  being  essential  in  it,  must  like- 
wise be  this  pure  Spirit,  or  pure  a61: :  "  Without  quality 
'*  good,  great  without  quantity,  everlasting  without  time, 
"  present  every  v/here  without  place,  containing  all  things 
**  without  extent.* 

The  Deity  is  revealed  under  the  name  of  Spirit^  in  order  to 
declare,  that  all  existences,  both  corporeal  and  incorporeal, 
derive  their  spirit,  or  life  and  being,  from  him.  He  is  spirit  in 
the  fountain :  The  creatures  are  only  so  as  streams  proceeding 
from  him.  The  will  and  power  of  the  Godhead  gave  them 
their  entity.  Hence  Aratus  tlie  heathen  poet,  quoted  by  St. 
Pdiil,   could  justly    sing  of  himself  and  others,  We  arc   bis 


offspring. 


£ut  though  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  are  one  God  and 
Spirit,  as  to  the  immateriaiii:y  and  transcendent  sublimity  of 
ilie  divine  nature  ;  yet  one  of  the  three  persons  is  oeconomi- 
^ally  and  emphatically  distinguished  by  the  names  oi  Holy 
'Inrlt^  Spirit  of  Jebovab-i  Spirit  cf  Alchijn^  and  tba  Spirit  ; 
oecHuse  it  is  his  ofTice,  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  to  put  that 
spirit  and  life  into  his  fallen  people,  which  they  lost  in  their 
[/rogenitoi  by  sin.  They  become  spiritually  his  agency.  Not 
tiiat  the  Father  and  Son  do  not  concur  in  it,  for  the  energy 
of  the  Godhead  ad  extra  is  one  ;  but  it  is  the  Holy  Spirit's 
express  appointment  to  carry  on  that  energy  to  effe6l  salva- 
tion. He  works  in  unity  with  the  Father  ;  and  therefore 
he  is  called  tlie  Spirit  of  "the  Father,  Eph.  iii.  t6.  He  works 
likewise  in  unity  with  the  Son  ;  and  therefore  he  is  styled 
ihe  Spirit  of  the  Son,  Gal.  iv.  6.  And  he  works  o{ himself 
in  pcvfecl  conjun6'lion  witii  the  Father  and  the  Son.  Thus 
he  divideth  his  gifts  as  be  ivill^  I  Cor.  xii.  ii.  and  is  there- 
ioie  by  himself  a  lovereign  agent  ;   and  yet  the  co/nmunion  of 

*  Bishop  Hall.  JDccacU  \v.  fpist,  7,  M-.^rn^us  De  Verit.  Rch 
•:.   c.  A. 


SPIRIT     OF     HOLINESS.  79 

believers,  who  are  bis  ^workmanship ^  is  with  the  Father^  i  John 
I,  3.  with  the  Son^  I  Cor.  i.  9.  and  with  the  Spirit^  Phil.  ij. 
I.  because  they  are  on^  tincihickd essence.  And  as  spirit  is  only 
another  name  for  a6live  energy  (and  in  this  sense  our  Lord 
calls  his  words  Spirit  vnd life)  the  third  person  in  the  trinity 
is  peculiarly  styled  tht(  Spirit^  because  the  impulse  of  the 
Godhead  is  exerted  by  him.  The  dry  bones  (Ezek,  xxxvii. 
14.)  or  the  dead  sinners  of  Israel^  (as  all  God's  people  arc  ) 
lived  by  the  Spirit:  And  thus  God  is  said  to  have  created 
all  things  by  the  Spirit.  Throughout  the  Scripture,  the  Spi- 
rit is  declared  to  be  the  acting  agent  of  natural  and  spiritual 
life. 

From  hence  we  may  perceive,  v/ith  what  suitableness  to 
his  office  and  our  understandings,  the  third  person  in  tije 
Godhead  is  called  the  Spirit  :  We  will  now  enquire,  where- 
fore he  is  called  the  Holy  Spirit,  or  Spirit  of  Holiness, 
and  upon  that  ground  treat  of  his  divinity. 

Holiness,    according  to  God^s  revelation,  by  which  alone 
we  know  any  thing  of  the  matter,  means  a  perfect  separation 
from  all  sin  and  evil.     Holiness  in  e^^\ct  is  this  ;   and  conse- 
quently holiness  in  its  cause  must  certainly  be  so.  It  is,  there- 
fore, an  essential  attribute  of  the  Most  High.     Nothing  rnv/- 
ted  cdiXi  claim  this  as  an  attribute  to  itself;  for  be  it  ever  so 
holy,  it  is  not  so  ex  se^  from  itself,  but  from  its  cause.     That 
is  not,  cannot  be,  essential  holiness,  which  is  derived.     Koli- 
ness  in   essence  must  be  God  himself,  who  exists  from  him- 
self, and  communicates  the  rays  of  his  perfe6\ions  to  his  crea- 
tures.    All  the  holiness  of  all  the  creatures  therefore  is  from 
God.     He  alv^^ays  laid  claim  to  this  attribute  among  his  peo- 
ple ;  and,  that  they  might  remember  it  the  more  constantly, 
he   commanded   it  to  be  worn  upon  the  forehead  of  his  high 
priest.     Exod.  xxviii.  36.     For  this  end  he  is  represented  as 
Slitting  upon  the  throne  of  his  holiness,^  Ps.  xlvii.  8.  intima- 
ting, that  there   is  no  authority  or  power  to  eiTe6c   holiness 
but  in  him.     And  so  essential  is  this   attribute  in  God,  that 
he  is    revealed  to  hsiVQ  sivorn  dy  his.  holiness,   i.    e.    to   have 
sworn  by  himself,  because  he  can  s~^ear  by  no  greater,,  and 
consequently  by  no  other.     His  holiness  and  his  nature  are 
one  and  the  same.     God  is  his  attributes  ;  and  his  attributes 
ARE    liimself.     AVe  cannot  look  on  the  divine  blaze  of  glory 
at  one  view  ;    and  therefore  the  rays  of  it   are    eelecled   and 
distinguished  by  the  medium  of  revelation,  which  like  a  glass 
darkened^  suits  itself  rather  to  the  weakness  of  our  sight  than 
to  the  fulness  of  the  objedl.     God  not  only  lives,  but  is  life  ; 
not  only  knotvs,  but  is  understcndijig  ;  n^t  only  bath  power, 
but  \s pc".\)er  /  not  only  is  holy,  but  is  holiness  itself 

The  spring,  then,  of  ail  hofiness,  or  holiness  in  essence,  is 
Gcd :  And  to  him  alone,  thei efoie,  can  we  address  the  wcrdr. 


$Q  H  O  L  Y     S  P  I  R  I  T,    o  R 

of  that  pathetic  hymn,  composed  by  Atbenogenes  the  martyr*" 
(used  ill  the  primitive  church,  and  retained  in  the  communi- 
on service  of  the  church  oi  Ejiglajid)  ^^  Thou  only  art  holy, 
tliou  only  art  the  Lord."  The  universal  chorus  in  heaven 
echoes  the  sound,  and  fills  the  realms  of  bliss  with  the  ado- 
ring theme — 7boit  only  art  hgly^  Lord  God  Almighty  ;  thou 
King  of  saints  I     Rev.,  xv.  3,  4. 

If  then  true  holiness  be  God,  and  God  be  holiness  itself  j 
what  can  the  spirit  of  holiness  be  ?  Can  /-6^^be  less  than  ho^ 
liness^  wich  is  the  very  essence  and  spirit  of  it  ?  Can  he  there- 
fore be  less  than  God,  who  claims,  who  possesses,  and  who  i^ 
distinguished  by,  his  most  essential  attributes? 

But  the  Spirit  01  God  is  called  the  Holy  Spirit,  because 
he  is  God  himseU\  He  claims  the  epithet  holy,  both  from 
his  nature  and  his  office^  If  he  were  not  holy  in  his  nature, 
or  rather  holiness  itself,  he  could  not  perform  that  office  in 
the  covenant  of  grace,  which  begins,  is  carried  on,  and  is  com- 
pleted, in  the  exercise  and  communion  of  holiness  to  the  re- 
deemed. He  could  not  impart,  what  is  not  his  own.  No 
atream  of  holiness  could  proceed  frpm  him,  were  he  not  the 
fountain  of  it. 

He  is  not  (as  the  Arians  ^xe^m)  an  inferior  or  created 
God,  or  the  creature  of  a  creature,  made  by  the  Son,  whp 
himself  was  made  of  the  Father  ;  because  he  could  not,  in 
that  case,  be  the  Spirit  of  God,  but  only  A  Spirit  from 
God  Nay,  by  their  account,  he  could  not  be  so  much  :  He 
could  only  be  the  spirit  of  a  creature,  who  is  (according  to 
them)  the  Son.  And  so,  in  this  strange  notion,  we  have  the 
representation  of  a  creature,  who  is  himself  the  creator  of  a- 
nother  creature,  which  other  creature  quickens  or  gives  life 
to  his  own  creator  (for  Christ  was  quickened  by  the  Spirit,  i 
Pet.  iii.  8.)  and  becomes  the  power,  bv  which  this  last  crea- 
tor performs  his  work  of  mediation.  This  is  at  once  absur- 
dity, polytheism,  and  idolatry.  Deism  itself  doth  not  furnish 
so  wretched,  contradictory,  and  disgraceful  an  opinion  of  the 
Godhead. 

Nor  is  the  Holy  Ghost  an  emanation  only,  or  a  ray  from 
the  Godhead,  as  the  Socinians,  and  others  have  dared  to  afr 
firm.  Can  an  emanation  be  the  giver  of  itself?  Can  this  e- 
mnnation  divide  various  gifts,  according  to  his  own  know- 
ledge, and  severally  as  He  ivillP  K  the  Spirit  be  only  an  e- 
inanation  from  thel^on,  and  the  Son  another  emanation  from 
tlie  Father  (as  the  Arians  speak)  ;  is  not  the  Spirit,  in  that 
case,  the  emanation  of  an  emanation,  and  will  there  not  be 
emanations  without  end?  Can  an  emanation  ivill  any  thing, 
search  any  thing,  explain  any  thing,   abide   and  depart  at  hig 

*  S.  Ba'sil  de  Sp.  S.  apud  Cave  Ilist.  Lit,  In  Npn). 


SPIRIT     OF     HOLINESS.  8i 

(or  rather  its)  own  pleasure  ? — **  But  it  is  an  emanraion^  a 
virtue^  from  God."  Still  more  absurd  !  Can  an  emanation 
from  God  a6l  'without  GoA.^  who  himself  is  a  pare  2f(^  ?  And, 
if  not  without  him,  is  not  God  the  effecting  agent  ?  And  is 
not  then  the  emanation  or  virtue  (if  it  must  be  so  called) 
God  himself?  Or,  can  God  be  divided  from  his  own  attri- 
butes ? — This  word  emanation^  applied  to  God,  is  indeed  a 
whimsical  term,  without  any  real  meaning  or  idea  ;  or,  if  it 
hath  one,  it  divides  God  from  hiujself,  or  represents,  by  what 
can  only  be  used  to  signify  a  quality^  a  conscious  independent 
efFe(5live  agent.  In  this  view,  therefore,  it  quarrels  with  the 
attributes  of  God,  the  \york  of  God,  and  the  word  of  God, 
and  is  but  a  sorry  name  employed  to  obscure  the  persojirtlity 
and  divinity  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Nor  doth  it  impart  an  idea, 
which  can  square  vv^ith  Scripture  or  with  common  sense.  For 
(to  mention  but  one  instance  among  many)  if  the  Holy  Ghost 
be  only  a  quality^  the  condition  of  a  being  and  not  a  being 
himself;  it  must  be  extremely  absurd  to*  baptize  a  person  in 
the  name  of  a  things  which  has  no  existence  \>\ix.  per  accidens^ 
no  essentiality  of  its  own.  They,  who  can  justify  or  make 
even  reason  of  this  (to  say  nothing  of  the  Bible,)  maybe  ve- 
ry fit  apologists  for  the  Romans^  who  dedicated  temples  to 
Jea)\  hope^  paleness^  and  twenty  other  qualities  besides,  and 
at  the  same  time  be  much  safer  employed  than  in  venting 
blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Against  these  unscriptural  dogmas,  we  will  oppose  a  few 
scriptural  proofs  of  the  personality  and  divinity  of  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

That  the  Holy  Ghost  is  7i  person^  and  not  an  emanation^  a 
virtue^  or  a  something  from  God  which  is  not  God,  will  ap- 
pear from  the  following,  among  many  other,  texts  of  Scrip- 
ture. He  creates  snd  gives  life^  Job  xxxiii.  4.  is  seen  de- 
scending/«  a  bodily  shape^  Luke  iii.  2i.  commands  apostles, 
A6ls  viii.  29.  and  xi.  12.  lifts  up  an  apostle  through  the  air 
by  his  own  power,_y."39.  sends  messengers,  Ac\s  x.  19.  ap- 
points ministers  in  the  church,  A6ls  xx.  28.  calls  apostles, 
Adis  xiii.  2.  bestows  gifts,  Heb.  ii.  4.  speaketh  to  the  church- 
es, Rev.  ii.  7.  spake  by  the  prophets,  A6ls  xxviii.  15.  2  Pet. 
i.  21.  speaketh  expressly^  i  Tim.  iv.  i.  renews  his  people, 
Titus  iii.  5.  helpeth  inhrmities,  Rom.  viii.  26.  maketh  inter- 
cession, ibid,  reveals  mysteries,  Eph.  iii.  5.  searciieth  all 
things,  I  Cor.  ii.  10.  teacheth  all  things,  Johnxiv.  26.  guid- 
cth  into  all  truth,  John  xvi.  13.  beareth  witness  in  earth 
and  heaven,  Rom.  viii.  16.  i  John  v.  6.  pronounceth  words 
©fblessing.  Rev.  xiv.  13.  testifies  of  Chris:.  John  xv.  26.  glo- 
rifies Christ,  John  xvi.  14.  is  ANOTHER  Conforter^  dis- 
tin(fi  from.  Christ,  John  xiv.  i6»  hath  a  mind  of  his  own,  Rom. 
viii.  27.  hath  a  w/// of  his  own>   1  Cor.  xii.  ii-  hath  a  po'^joer 


rill 


82  H  O  L  Y     S  P  I  R  I  T,    o  R 

of  his  own,  Rom.  xv.  15.  hath  worship  performed  in  his 
name,  together  with  the  Father  and  Son,  Matth.  xxviii.  19, 
hath  a  temple  for  his  worship,  i  Cor.  vi.  15*'  abides  with  his 
people  for  ever,  John  xiv.  16.  And,  by  no  people  is  blasphem- 
ed, but  upon  the  peril  of  damnation,  Matth.  xii.  31. 

Each  of  these  Scriptures,  (and  much  more  ail  together,) 
is  sulBcient  to  demolish  that  unscriptural  and  absurd  opinion 
of  the  Socinians  and  others,  which  treats  the  Holy  Spirit  of 
God  as  an  effusion  separate  from  God,  consequently  as  some- 
thing created  by  God,  and  therefore  something  not  of  his  na- 
ture or  in  it.  It  v/as  the  saying  of  a  good  man,  that  "  the 
devil  may  pervert  Scripture,  but  he  cannot  answer  it."  But 
the  f.bove  texts,  to  which  many  more  might  be  added,  are  so 
positive  and  dire6^  in  proof  of  the  Spirit's  personality^  that, 
able  as  the  devil  is  in  sophistry,  they  seem  to  defy  his  wiles 
upon  this  point,  and  are  as  convincing  to  faith,  as  any  mathe- 
malical  demonstratioVis  can  possibly  be  to  sense.  Two  and 
two  making  four,  does  not  appear  more  clear  and  conclusive, 
than  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  a  living  divine  agent,  working 
with  consciousness^  ^jjill  ajid po'vjer.  If  people  will  net  be  per- 
suaded by  these  testimonies  from  God,  neither  'would  they  be 
persuaded^  tboifgb  one  rose  again  from  the  dead. 

That  the  Holy  Ghost  is  not  a  creature^  nor  a  little  God, 
nor  God  inferior  to  the  Father  and  the  Son,  but  possesses 
true  and  perf£6t  divinity  equal  to  and  united  with  the  other 
divine  persons,  let  the  Scriptures,  and  scriptural  arguments 
only,  prove  and  determine. 

His  claim  to  the  highest  titles  and  ascriptions  of  the  Deity 
hath  been  considered  in  some  other  of  these  Essays  ;  and 
therefore,  in  this  place,  it  will  be  sufficient  to  prove  him  to 
be  God  from  the  nature  of  his  lucri  and  ojjice^  as  the  Ho- 
ly Ghost. 

Christ  hath  declared,  that  the  work  of  the  Comtorter 
consisted  of  two  parts ;  the  one  was  to  anoint,  to  testify  of 
Christ,  and  to  glorify  him  in  his  work  of  mediation  ;  and  the 
otlier,  to  teacli,  to  lead,  to  dwell  in,  and  to  abide  with  his 
redeemed  for  ever. 

The  anointing  of  the  man  Jesus  was  both  his  commission 
and  capacity  to  perform  redemption.  As  a  mere  man,  had  he 
been  ever  so  pure  and  holy,  he  could  have  done  nothing,  he 
(.oulJ  have  merited  nothing,  to  salvation,  but  for  himselF. 
But  as  GoD-man,  as  a  person  composed  of  two  natures,  di- 
vine and  burian  ;  he  could  accomplisli  all  that  was  necessary 
by  the  one,  and  surTer  all  that  v/as  due  in  the  other.  Being, 
therefore,  in  this  exalted  form;  who  could  commission, who 
could  delegate,  who  could  anoint,  the  blessed  Redeemer  for 
the  exercise  of  his  function  ?  Could  tlie  creatures  ?  Could  the 
highest  angcic  in  heaven  ?  Could  he,  who  was  the  great  Crea- 


SPIRIT     OF     HOLINESS.  83 

tor  ytbovah  in  our  nature  receive  any  thing  of  design,  in- 
3ti  u(Slion,  autliority  or  power,  from  iiis  own  works  t — Bu': 
Christ  was  anointed  with  the  Holy  Ghost  for  his  mediatorial 
oiiice.  The  Holy  Ghost,  therefore,  must  be  equal  with  God, 
and  consequently  God  himself;  or  he  added  nothing  to  the 
Redeemer,  and  was  therefore  of  no  use  ;  which  to  assert,  is 
blasphemy  against  the  wisdom  of  God.  (Christ  was  baptized 
with  water  and  the  Holy  Spirit  and  declared  or  anointed  by 
him,  at  the  same  time,  by  the  voice  of  th3  Father  to  be  the 
Son  of  God  with  power  and  authority,  that  he  might  be  receiv- 
ed and  acknowledged  for  the  great  Redeemer. 

The  Holy  Spirit  was  to  testify  of  Christ.  In  so  important 
a  matter,  for  which  Christ  was  to  suiTjr,  and  concerning 
ivhich  his  people  were  to  be  saved,  it  became  necessary  for 
liim  and  them,  that  there  should  appear  the  highest  evidence 
and  testimony.  And  the  highest  hath  been  given  to  both. 
God  hath  borne  witness  and  testified  of  his  Son  ;  i  John  v.  0. 
and  hath  also  borne  witness  and  testified  of  him  to  his  peo- 
ple. Heb.  ii.  4.  But  we  shall  find,  that,  it  v/as  the  Holy- 
Ghost,  who  testified  of  Jesus,  John  xv.  2.6.  And  that  it  is 
the  same  Holy  Ghost,  who  is  a  witness  to  the  redeemed. 
Heb,  X.  15.  A  human  testimony  might  deceive,  and,  if  it 
did  not  deceive,  must  soon  fail ;  but  God  hath  appointed  a 
witness  for  Jesus  in  the  people,  w^hich  continues  from  gene- 
ration to  generation  and  can  never  decay. 

The  Holy  Spirit  was  to  glorijy  Christ.  Cut  neither  earth 
nor  heaven  could  add  glory  to  the  Lord  of  life  and  glory. 
He  coulvi  only  be  glorified  with  his  own  nature:  And  there- 
fore he  says  to  the  Father,  glorify  vie  ivitb  thine  o'xun  self 
But  the  Holy  Spirit,  being  the  Spirit  of  ghry^  could  glorify 
the  Redeemer  w^ith  the  glory  which  he  had  before  the  world 
was,  and  with  a  glory  among  his  people,  Vv^hich  should  remain 
throughout  all  ages. 

The  Holy  Ghost  was  also  to  teacb  the  redeemed,  an-J  to 
guide  tbe-ni  into  all  truth*  And  who  teachetli  like  l.im  ?  Men 
may  apply  words  to  the  ear;  but  God  alone  can  fix  instruc- 
tion upon  the  heart.  He  only,  who  is  truth  itself,  can  give 
tlie  demonstration  and  power  of  it  to  the  soul.  The  senses 
may  have  a  certainty  v/ith  respccSb  to  mathematical  quantity 
and  the  proportion  of  matter  ;  but  v/ho  can  afTord  the  Spirit 
of  man  an  elenchus  concerning  spiritLial  and  invisible  things, 
but  He,  who  is  the  Father  of  spirits^  and  Vv'ho  can  clotlie  all 
words  and  ideas  with  convicVion  and  el^.icacy  !  It  is  Jehcvab 
Alehiin^  who  teacbtth  to  prrft^  and  leadetb  his  people  by  the 
"May  they  should  go.     Is.  xlviii.    17. 

The  Holy  Ghost  was  also  to  d-weil  in  and  abide  ivith  his 
people  for  ever.  Christ,  when  he  departed  to  his  Glo:y, 
sent  the  CQmforter  for  this  very  purpose,  as  a   proof  of  the 


84  H  O  L  Y     S  P  I  Pv,  I  T,     o  K 

completion  of  his  own  mediatorial  office* — But  we  read  in  thd 
Psalms,  that,  whieii  kc  ascended  on  higb^  and  led  captivity 
capthcy  it  was  expressly  for  this  end,  that  Jah  Alehim  might 
dvsell  among  his  people,  and  be  unto  them  that  shecbinab^ 
which  implies  every  idea  of  God's  gracious  comfort  and  pre- 
sence. Ps.  Ixviil.  i8.  The  Holy  Ghost,  therefore,  is  Je- 
hovah Alchim^ox  (as  it  is  rendered)  the  Lord  God.  Again. 
God  bath  saidy  I  ivi/l  dwell  in  than  and^^alk  in  them*  %  Cor.^ 
vi.  16.  Bat  it  is  the  Holy  Spirit  which  Christ  promises  shall 
dwril  with  them,  and  he  in  them.  John  xivr  17.  The  Holy 
Sp;:\:,  consequently,  is  God. 

I'hat  the  Holy  Ghost,  though  personalty  and  oeconomically 
distinguished  from  the  Father  an.»l  the  Son,  is  essenti?dly 
conjoiiied  with  the  other  divine  persons,  as  to  the  unity  of 
of  the  Godhead ;  will  appear  from  a  variety  af  Scriptures, 
some  of  v/hich  have  been  already  considered  in  the  former 
Essavs.  His  peculiar  cflice,  which  is  to  enlighten  and  comfort 
the  redeemed,  proves  it  also  most  fully  and  dire6lly.  By  him 
thev  have  a  communication  and  communion  with  the  God- 
head. Thev  have  access  unto  this  grace  indeed  through 
Ghrisi,  and  in  virtue  of  his  redemption  :  Rom.  v.  2>  But  it 
is  by  one  Spirit,  who  worketh  all  in  the  children  of  God,  that 
through  Christ  they  thus  approach  the  Father.  Eph.  ii.  180 
By  Cluisl  they  receive  the  title^  by  the  Holy  Spirit  they  ob- 
tain the  enjoyment^  of  their  inheritance.  And,  therefore, 
w\nen  communion  v^ith  God  is  described  in  the  Scriptures,  it 
is  usually  in  the  names  of  the  three  divi-ne  persons,  by  whose 
love,  mercy  and  power,  d!stin6lly  and  severall}",  the  faithful 
arc  broup-ht  into  the  participation  of  it.  Thus  their  fellow- 
ship i5  Vv^ith  the  Father  and  the  Son^  i  John  i.  3.  with  the  .S'cn 
particularly,  i  Cor.  i.  9.  with  the  Spirit  expressly,  Phil.  ii. 
I.  and  the  three  persons  together,  2  Cor.  xiii.  14.  It  follows, 
then,  that  as  there  is  but  one  God,  this  God  exists  in  three 
persons,  who,  because  of  their  perfect  equality  and  union,  are 
sometimes  mentioned  together^  to  express  tlie  unity,  and 
sometimes  apart  to  explain  their  offices,  but  always  in  re- 
ference to  their  glory  and  divinity,  or  in  reference  to  man's 
particular  dependence  upon  them,  liccording  to  their  peculiar 
tharaclers  in  the  covenant  of  grace.  And,  in  order  to  shew 
more  particularly  the  entire  union  and  equality  of  the  divine 
persons,  there  is  sometinies  mentioned  an  interchanging  of  of- 
fice among  them  ;  which  proves,  that  ail  and  every  part  of 
salvation  is  the  joint  effetl  of  one  will,  one  power,  c/:p  grace, 
in  tiie  Deitv.  San(flification,  for  instance,  whether  it  be  con- 
sidered in  its  strin,  sense  of  separation^  or  in  the  sense  of 
consccraticKy  or  of  the  communication  ofholiness^  is  the  pro- 
per work  of  the  Spirit :  But  the  Spirit  is  not  divided  from  the 
Father  and  Son  in  this  eracious  cirice  ;  for  v;c  find,  that  God 


S  P  I  R  I  T    OF    H  O  L  I  N  E  S  S.  85 

the  Father  san6lifieth,  Jude  i.  and  that  the  Son  san6lifieth, 
Heb.  xiii.  12.  The  apostle  Peter  marks  hovj  this  is  accam- 
plished,  in  a  very  particular  manner.  Believers  are  elect 
].  tnis  is  dne  part  of  san6lifying]  according  to  the  Joreknowlege 
of  God  the  Father,  through  sanctiji  cation  of  the  Spirit  unto 
obedience  [this  is  another,]  and  sprinkling  of  the  blood  cf  \i.- 
sus  [tl)is  is  a  third]  i  Pet.  i.  2.  Who  doth  not  see  an  entire 
union  and  communion  of  the  divine  persons  in  this  passage  ? 
Who  hath  credulity  enough  to  suppose,  that  any  of  these  im- 
portant offices  can  possibly  be  performed  by  creatures  ?  Tliese 
all  relate  to  works  of  eternal  salvation,  aiid  can  be  accom- 
plished by  no  finite  being  ;  for  God  hath  said,  with  a  most  re- 
markable emphasis  ;  /,  even  /,  atn  Jehovah,  and  beside  me 
there  is  no  Saviour,     Is.  xliii.    11. 

Happy  the  man,  who,  to  all  this  testimony  from  the  word 
of  God,  can  add  that  of  his  own  experience  I  He  ino'ws 
WHOM  he  hath  believed.  The  confidence  and  hopes  of  his 
soul  are  not  placed  upon  an  Uni;nown  God,  nor  upon  a  spe- 
culative and  uncertain  foundation.  He  that  believeth^  hath 
the  witness  in  himself,  says  the  apostle:  And  Christ  hath 
declared,  that  if  any  man  imHI  do  the  will  of  God^  he  shall 
KNov/  of  the  doctrine^  ^iuhether  it  be  of  God.  To  the  authority 
of  the  word,  God  adds  the  evidence  of  his  Spirit  in  the  believ- 
ing soul.  By  this  Spirit,  he  first  believes  ;  and,  by  ths  same 
Spirit,  he  knows  that  he  believes.  As  an  animal  is  perceiv- 
ed to  live,  by  that  inspiration  of  air  v/hich  is  called  breath- 
ing; so  a  Christian  is  understood  to  enjoy  the  Spirit  of  life, 
by  the  spiritual  breathings  of  prayer  and  praise.  We  knoi\> 
that  11^:  have passedfroni  death  unto  life,  by  the  efFe6ls  of  that 
life*  A  man  cannot  live,  and  perform  the  functions  of  life, 
without  a  consciousness  of  life  ;  nor  move,  without  some 
sense  of  motion  ;  nor  see,  without  the  perception  of  sight. 
'Tis  true  :  like  an  infant,  he  may  not  exercise  these  faculties 
with  advantage  or  comfort  at  first ;  but  he  doth  not  ahvays  re- 
main in  this  state,  and,  while  he  doth,  he  cannot  long  secrete 
some  evidences  of  his  spiritual  life  from  others.  He  iz  born  of 
the  Spirit ;  and  being  born  of  Him,  v/ho  is  all  life,  all  energy, 
he  will  not,  he  cannot,  remain  in  the  sluggishness  and  death 
of  the  flesh.  He  hath  a  neiv  Spirit  put  into  his  old  frame; 
and  he  must  and  will  'vjalk  in  newness  of  life.  There  is  no  un- 
natural constraint  in  the  case  (as  some  have  dreamed,  who 
know  not  the  Scriptures  nor  the  power  of  God  ;)  but  this  new 
Spirit  and  new  life  bring  with  them  their  ov/n  proper  a6ls  and 
faculties,  and,  among  the  rest,  a  new  will,  new  aire(5lion3,  new 
hopes,  new  fears,  new  joys,  a  nev/  understanding;  so  that 
the  man  is  become  the  new  creature  of  a  new  creation.  Con- 
straint implies  resistance  ;  but  the  believer's  new  nature  doth 

Vol.  n.  M 


H6  H  0  L  Y    S  F  I  R  I  T,    o  r 

:jot  rejiist,but  thinks  v/ith  the  Spirit  and  wills  with  the  Spi- 
rit, and  therefore  is  net  constrained.     The  eye  muse  see,  and 
the  sense  must  feel ;  but  there  is  no  violence  upon  either  fa- 
culty in  the  case,  for  it  is  its  nature  and  delight.     It  is  much 
the    same   with    the    real   believer.     He  is   not  forcsd  to 
love   and   serve  God  ;  and  yet  he   cannot  but  love  and  serve 
him.     It  13  his    desire  and  delieht ;    and   without  this  en- 
gagement hs  has  no   more  complacency,  than  the   eye  can 
have  without   its  sight,   or  any  other  faculty  v/ithout   tlie 
use  of  its  peculiar  discernment.     This  wonderful  Vv'ork  is  al- 
together tliC  agency  of  God's  free  Spirit.     It  is  'his  honor  and 
hia  oftice:  And  it  is  called  by  various  names  in  Scripture, 
which  bear  reference  to  our  outward  senses,  that  we  may  per- 
ceive the  more  clearly  what  a  work  and  what  a  change  it  is. 
Sometimes  it  is  called,  a  removal  from  darkness  to  light  ;  and 
this  applies  to  the  difference  in  the  understanding  betweei: 
the  former  state  and  the  present :  Sometimes,   an  exchange 
of  bondage  for  liberty  ;  and    this    afFe6ls   the  w///,   and   its 
thraldom   to  sin   and  corruption  :   Sometimes   a   translation 
from  the  power  of  Satan  into  the  kingdom  of  God  ;  and  this 
relates  to  the  exercise  of  oMYpO'i-jers  2,XidL  service  :  Sometimes, 
the    alteration   of  condition  from  being  children  of^vrath  to 
being  children  of  grace  /  and  tiiis  applies  to  the  enjoyment  of 
this  life  and  the  happiness  resulting  from  it :   And  sometimes, 
a  passing  from  death  unto  life  ;  and  this,   including  all  the 
rest,  refers  to  the  absolute  change  which  is  made  within  the 
soul  in  the  act  of  conversion  to  God.     This  operation  hath 
been,  and  ever  will  be,  an  incomprehensible  business  to  those, 
who  have  not  known  it  in  themselves.     Like  Nicodemus  and 
other  masters  in  Israel^  they  will  reason  &  re-reason,  till  they 
puzzle  and  perplex  themselves  by  darkening  counsel  by  ivords 
iviihiiit  knoiolcdge  ;  &[,when  they  cannot  make  out  the  matter, 
will  give  the  strongest  proof  of  all  that  they  do  know  nothing 
of  it,   by  fretting,  and  raving,   and  calling;   hard  names,  and 
saying,  in  short,  that  there  is  no  such  thing.     Thus  will  they 
strive  to  content  themselves  by  sporting  with  their  own  de- 
ceii)ings  :  And,  if  they  can  find  out  some  melancholy  exam- 
ples of  hypocrites  and  pretenders  (as,  God  knows,  they  miav 
soon  find  too  many)  tliey  will  quote 'these,  as  so  many  proofs 
upon  fact  for  the  trutli  of  their  opinion  ;  and  so,  where  they 
do  not  reason,  they  Vv/ill  not  fail  to  abuse.     Yet  reason  itself 
might  teach  them,  that  from  the  abuse  to  the  use  of  a  princi- 
ple no  consequence   Iiolds:    And   the  Scripture  does   teach 
them,  that  a  man  7nus'  be  born  from  above  ere  he  can  ascend 
thither;  and  that  this  is  one  part  of  that  work  concerning 
which  God  says,  /  work  a  work  in  your  days^  a  work  which 
you  shall  in  no  wise  believe^  though  a  7uan  declare  it  unto  you. 
A<5\s  xiii.  41, 


SPIRIT    OF    HOLINESS.  87 

Blessed  be  God,  the  truths  of  his  grace  do  not  at  all  depend 
upon  the  feeble  and  fla6luating  opinions  of  fallible  men. 
Though  we  are  all  Popes  by  nature,  and  every  iivan  is  prone 
to  claim  to  himself  an  infallible  chair,  to  the  decisions  of 
which  if  others  oppose  themselves  he  is  ready  to  thunder  out 
angry  bulls  and  bitter  words  ;  yet  the  Spirit  of  God  pulls  this 
papal  spirit  down  within  his  children,  and  teaches  them  not 
to  domineer,  but  to  sit  meekly  at  the  Master's  feet,  or  to 
walk  humbly  in  the  sense  of  their  own  weakness  and  depend- 
ence upon  him. 

All  this  work  of  grace  in  the  soul  is,  to  the  believer,  an  hi- 
ternal  proof  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  divinity,  who  is  the  agent. 
*Tis  no  proof  indeed  to  the  world  at  large,  ncr  is  it  oiTered  a^ 
such  ;  being  a  part  of  that  hidden  ^oisdom^  zvbicb  God  orda:7ied 
before  the  world  untd  our  glory^  and  a  portion  of  that  bidden 
manna^  which  the  world  knows  nothing  of.  It  is  that  ivLite 
stO'ie^  and  new  name  written  on  it,  wbicb  no  man  knowetb,  sav- 
ing- be  that  receivctb  it.  The  Holy  Ghost  is  a  witness  for  him- 
self in  the  spirits  of  his  people  ;  and  his  people  rejoice  in  his 
testimony.  As  they  know  by  sense,  that  the  sun  shines  at 
mid-day,  and  are  assured  of  it  by  its  own  illumination  ;  so  they 
know  by  the  grace  oifaitb  (which  jc^/^  bim  tbat  is  invisible,) 
that  the  Spirit  qJ  God  is  in  tbem  of  a  truth,  and  are  convinced 
of  it  by  his  own  light  and  demonstration.  The  world,  on  the 
other  hand,  laugh  at  what  they  know  not,  with  just  as  much 
wisdom  as  a  simple  clown,  who  should  jeer  at  the  earth's 
motion  and  other  astronomical  truths,  merely  because  he  can- 
not conceive  them.  Nor  let  the  world  call  this  conceit  or 
pride  in  the  Christian  ;  because  he  will  ov/n,  that  he  must 
have  remained  in  the  same  blindness  of  heart  with  them,  but 
for  the  free  and  Unmerited  mercy  of  his  God.  Unto  him,  it 
was  given  to  believe  :  Of  himself  (\viih  the  apostle)  be  knows 
nothing.  "  Sceptics  may  wrangle  (says  an  ingenious  author) 
and  mockers  may  blaspheme  ;  but  the  pious  man  knows  by 
evidence  too  sublime  for  their  comprehension,  that  his  at- 
fe6lions  are  not  misplaced  and  that  his  hopes  shall  not  be 
disappointed  ;  by  evidence,  which  to  every  sound  mind,  is 
fully  satisfa<5lory  ;  but  which  to  the  hunibie  and  tender-beart- 
ed,  is  altogether  everlastings  irresi stable,  and  divine."*^  Beat- 
tie  on  truth.  Part  i.  c.  ii.  )  5.  See  also,  to  the  same  effe6l, 
Stillingfleet's  Origines  Sacra.     Book  ii.  c.  9. 

The  Spirit  proves  himself  to  be  God,  by  the  spiritual 
wonders  which  he  hath  wrought:  and  he  takss  upon  him  the 
name  of  the  Spirit  of  Holiness,  both  because  he  is  the  essence 
of  it,  and  because  he  wonderfully  condescends  to  impart  it  to 
sinners  among  men.  As  without  holiness  no  man  shall  see  the 
Lord ;  so,  without  the  Lord,  no  man  shall  enjoy  holiness. 
It  is  a  principle  which  cannot  arise   from  so  foul  a  soil  as  a 


88  H  O  L  Y     S  P  I  R  I  T,     o  R 

sinful  souV  It  is  life  eternal  both  in  substance  and  conse- 
quence ;  and  surely  this  must  be  a  life,  which  no  weak  and 
wicked  wretch,  as  man  is  by  nature,  can  either  create  or 
claim.  He  has  no  title  to  it,  but  from  God'  sbounty;  no  pow- 
er to  exercise  it,  but  by  God's  strength;  no  confidence  of  its 
perpetuity,  but  through  that  faithfulness  and  mercy  >vhich 
endure  for  ever. 

The  Lord  the  Spirit  bestows  holiness  upon  his  people,  as 
the  means  of  their  happiness,  nay,  as  their  happiness  itself. 
They  fly  not  from  sin,  merely  lest  they  should  be  damned  for 
it  (though  it  is  as  certain  as  God  is  true,  that  they  who  live 
and  die  in  sin,  whoever  they  be,  shall  be  damned  ;)  but  they 
avoid  it,  as  the  path  of  misery  itself,  in  which  they  are  sure 
never  to  find  that  presence  which  is  better  than  life,  nor 
that  communion  of  the  Spirit  which  is  one  main-spring  of  all 
their  joys.  Some  there  are  (and  O  that  it  were  not  too  un^ 
deniable  a  truth  !)  who  talk  of  keeping  up  this  communion  and 
enjoying  this  presence,  even  ^vjbere  Satan's  ssat  is^  and  among 
the  lying  vanities  and  amusements  of  the  world.  The  con- 
demnation of  such  men  is  just,  Rom.  iii.  8.  To  do  evil  that 
good  may  come,  to  mix  with  sin  to  enjoy  holiness,  and  to 
confederate  with  the  devil  to  serve  God  ;  are  some  of  those 
horrible  problems,  which  make  real  Christians  tremble,  ex- 
cite wonder  in  heaven  at  the  divine  patience,  and  raise  a  ma- 
lignant smile  in  hell  over  the  amazing  impudence  and  apos- 
tacy  of  man.  Such  unhappy  souls  (for  they  never  knew  the 
happiness  of  the  Spirit  of  Holiness)  have  neither  part  nor  lot 
in  the  matter ;  but,  like  Simon  3Iagiis^  the  founder  of  such 
like  heresies,  are  in  the  gall  of  bitterness^  and  in  the  bond 
cf  iniquity.  They  may  talk  of  the  gospel,  but  do  not  enjoy 
it ;  they  may  criticize  upon  do6lrines,  but  do  not  know  their 
power;  and  they  may  split  hairs  p&rhaps  upon  theological 
theses,  but  be  all  the  while  within  a  hair's  breadth  of  hell. 
The  Spirit  of  Holiness  v/ill  not  be  blasphemed,  but  at  their 
cost,  by  those  who  profess  to  know  him,  ^jdbile  in  'luorks  they 
deny  bim^  being  abominable^  and  disobedient^  and  unto  every 
good  ivork  reprobate.  Til.  i.  i6. — This  is  plain  language; 
but  the  times  require  it.  The  real  Christian  will  not  be  of- 
fended at  the  truth,  for  he  loves  to  be  sincerely  dealt  with  : 
And  as  to  hypocritical  pretenders,  they  ought  to  be  offended, 
that  either  tbey  may  be  humbled  for  their  sins,  or  be  allowed 
no  title  to  a  profession  which  they  disgrace.  For  this,  we 
have  the  example  of  the  primitive  church  :  And  it  would  be 
happy  for  the  church  in  all  ages  and  countries,  if  she  could 
follow  it. 

And  now,  G  believer,  in  whcm  this  divine  Spirit  hath 
breathed  his  heavenly  life,  and  whom  he  hath  anointed  v/ith 
his  holy  un(5lion  ;  what   says   thy   heart  to  this  title  of  thy 


SPIRIT    OF    HOLINESS.  89 

God?  Is  he  no:  a  Spirit  indeed  to  thee^  quickening  thy  soul 
and  renewing  thy  strength  ?  Is  he  not  the  Holy  S/?irit  or 
Spirit  of  bcUiiess^  willing  in  thee  all  holy  inclinations,  stir- 
ring in  thee  all  holy  desires,  prompting  to  thee  all  holy  words, 
eiteding  in  thee  ail  holy  works  ?  liast  thou  a  thougiit,  a  wish, 
an  affeition,  a  work,  holy  in  the  least  degree  without  him? 
Thy  spirit  will  witness  lor  him  in  all  this  matter — will  wit- 
ness, his  kindness,  and  meixy,  and  powei,  and  Godhead  ever- 
lasting. His  own  word jLjr(3t'/^/;/zj  his  divinity;  thy  heart 
feels  it.  If  others  doubt  this  glorious  truth,  tbou  canst  not* 
Thou  art  taught  by  himself,  as  well  as  by  his  word,  that  none 
but  almighty  power  could  have  raised  thee  from  the  death  of 
trespasses  and  sins,  and  none  but  invincible  grace  have  pro- 
te6led  thee  when  raised.  And  (.hou  hast  seen  in  manifold  in- 
stances (and  thy  memory  can  furnish  both  the  times  and  oc- 
casions,) how  readily  he  has  come  in  to  thine  aid ;  when,  but 
for  his  aid,  thou  must  have  sunk  under  thy  various  tempta- 
tions, and  fallen  into  the  snare  oi.  the  devil.  He  furnishes 
thy  mind  v/ith  knowledge^  not  notioiial  or  speculative  know- 
ledge only,  but  with  such  full  intelligencs  of  necessary  truth, 
as  enables  thy  spirit  to  receive  it  as  something  belonging  to 
thee,  and  to  relish  and  enjoy  it.  He  sanclilies  thy  affections^ 
and  prevents  their  intangleinent  with  things  beneath  him 
and  below  thyself.  He  gives  thee  sweet  complacency  of  hearty 
and  many  a  happy  hour,  which  no  eye  but  his  behclds,  and  no 
mind  but  a  Christian's  can  conceive.  How  kindly  doth  he 
bend  down  the  old  man  of  sin,  and  conquer  those  harsh  and 
rugged  dispositions,  v;h:ch  no  created  strength  could  subdue  ! 
What  meek  resignation,  v/hat  placid  contentment,  v/hat  ab- 
stra6lion  from  the  world  and  from  self,  dcth  it  intro- 
duce into  a  heart,  whicli,  before,  v/as  like  en  untamed 
hefer^  unaccustomed  to  tJJc yoke^  and  which  only  souglit  Self, 
and  Sin  for  self,  in  ail  it  thought  or  did  I  How  pov/crfully, 
yet  how  graciously,  doth  he  sustain  thy  spirit  in  every  try- 
ing hour  ;  and,  though  he  suffer  thee  to  liip,  perhaps,  that  th-ju 
mightest  remember  where  thy  strength  lies  ;  witii  v.'hat  in- 
crease of  fervor  and  holiness  doth  he  raise  thee  up  again,  and 
with  what  sense  of  his  unmerited  mercy  and  love  1;*  O  what 
a  debtor,  what  a  daily  debtor,  art  thou  to  this  Holy  Spirit's 
wisdom,  power,  and  grace  1  'Tis  indeed,  a  salvation,  which 
then  canst  not  nu.nbcr;   a  rich  salvation,  which  all  heaven 

*  Bernard  elegantly  says  of  these  yv^^^'f^  of  the  Spirit,  that  tbey 
are  Spei  quccdam  seminarian  charitatis  inctnti'sc, olenitis  pry  dc:linzti^n:s 
indicia  future  f elicit  atis  prasagia  ;  "  Nourishments  of  hope,  motives 
of  love,  discoveries  of  God's  secret  predestination,  aixi  sure  proj;;- 
nostics  of  everlasting  felicity."  De  Grct,  Is"  Lib.  Arl.  V/its.  Irenic, 
c.  ::iv.  \,  15. 


90  ETERNAL     SPIRIT. 

cannot  count.  Thou  wilt  be  counting  it  to  eternity,  and  all 
the  while  be  perceiving,  more  and  more  clearly,  that  thou 
art  and  must  be  an  everlasting  debtor.  'Tis  a  blessed  debt, 
and  thou  wilt  for  ever  be  welcome  to  increase  it.  O  come, 
let  us  add  something  to  it  even  here !  We  have  a  bad  world 
indeed  ;  but  suiil  grace  is  to  be  obtainsd  in  it ;  and  we  can 
augment  our  stack  in  this  vslWcy  o^  Acbor  for  our  heavenly 
Canaan,  Soon,  soon  sliall  the  hour  come,  when  the  shadows 
shall  disappear,  when  the  day  of  Christ  shall  dawn,  and  »he 
full  elTulgence  of  the  divine  glory  shall  irradiate,  and  fill,  and 
make  unalterably  happy,  our  redeemed  souls.  Soon  shall  v/e 
see  Jesus  as  be  is^  and  by  the  love  of  the  Father,  and  power 
of  the  Spirit,  be  for  ever  like  unto  him. 

Wonderfully  saved  art  thou,  O  Christian  !  Wonderfully 
redeemed  from  the  earth!  All  things  here  are  full  of  won- 
ders, when  we  survey  the  visible  creation  as  we  ought :  But 
hov/  surpassing  in  wonder,  how  unutterably  amazing,  must 
the  redemption  of  thy  soul  appear,  when  thou  shalt  be  able 
more  perfe6lly  to  trace  it  out,  as  it  began  in  heaven,  was 
carried  on  upon  earth,  and  completed  in  glory  I — when  the 
v/onders  of  God  shall  burst  forth  upon  thy  ravished  soul  in 
those  realms  of  bliss,  K'obere  mortality  is  sivalloxved  up  of  life. 
There,  even  there  perhaps,  in  the  perfe6l  illum,ination  of  spi- 
rit and  life,  without  one  cloud  to  obscure,  thou  mayest  justly 
take  up  the  apostle's  words  to  proclaim  the  ineffable  theme  ; 
0  tbe  depth  of  the  riches  both  of  the  wisdom  and  knoivledge  of 
God  !  how  unsearchable  are  bis  judgments,,  and  his  ways  past 
finding  out  !  ^  Him,  and  through  Him,  and  to  Him,  arc  all 
things:  to  HiUj  be  glory  for  ever.     Amen. 


■:i>:<^:4:v:- 


ETERNAL     SPIRIT, 


E 


TERNITY  !  — How  short  2  word  for  an  infinite  me:in^ 
ing! 'Tis  a  name  for  an  existence,  of  which  the  crea- 
tures ca^n  only  apprehend  the  succession  oi parts,  and  which 
its  author  and  causi  alone  can  comprehend,  without  succes- 
sion, as  a  whole.  It  depends  upon  the  existence  of  God  ;  and  it 
necessarily  exists,   because  He    necessarily  exists.     As  it  is 


ETERNAL    SPIRIT.  t^i 

impossible  that  there  should  be  no  being,  no  place,  no  dura- 
tion ;  so,  on  the  contrary,  there  must  be  that  Being,  by 
v/hom  and  in  whom  all  being,  place,  and  duration  subsist. 
For  it  is  abjurd  to  say,  that  a  non-entity  endures^  or  that  the 
C£!use  of  duration  doth  7iot  endure.  And  as  duration  must 
have  been  eternal  a  parte  ante,  or  before  the  present  vona  ;  so 
it  must  be  eternal  a  parte  post,  or  ajjcr  any  given  moment  of 
time.  Consequently,  the  author  ot  duration,  in  both  these 
respe6ls,  isfrs7n  everlasting  to  ever  la:  ting  also. 

This  idea  is  included  in  the  peculiar  name    of  God,  Jeho- 


mg  of  days  or  end  oflije. 
He,  v/ho  can  fully  conceive  thib,  may  likewise  fully  compie- 
hend  the  sense  of  tlie  vi^ord  eternity,  which  bears  the  same 
relation  to  God,  as  tim^  doth  to  the  creatures.  Bat,  as  no 
created  b-eing  can  thus  dilate  itself  to  infinitude  [nulium  mi- 
nus continet  iri  se  majiis  ;]  so  none  by  searching  can  find  out 
Gcd,  or  explore  the  height  and  depth,  v/hich  is  unbounded. 

Now,  though  we  are  unable  to  fathom  what  is  necessa- 
rily unfathom:?ble  to  us,  it  is  however  expedient,  that  we 
should  know  it  to  be  so,  and  in  consequence  not  presume  to 
launch  out  into  an  immense  ocean,  without  chart  or  compaes. 
Man,  in  every  sense  of  the  term,  is  placed  upon  an  island, 
to  which  there  is  an  appointed  shore  ;  and  he  can  see  but  a 
very  little  space  beyond  it — far  enough,  hovvrever,  to  know, 
that  there  is,  beyond  his  small  circle  of  perception  and  con- 
ception, a  Vv'ide  circumference  of  time,  place,  power,  and 
wisdom;  which,  like  circles,  including  others  ad  infinitum, 
grow  in  immensity  and  compass,  the  wider  they  are'extend- 
ed  from  him. 

As  man  can  go  but  a  very  little  way  towards  the  knowledge 
and  apprehension  of  God;  it  hatli  pleased  the  divine  good- 
ness to  bring  into  his  narrow  reach  such  notices  of  whaclies 
beyond  it,  as  may  serve  to  fill  him  with  a  due  understanding 
of  his  own  minuteness  and  dependence,  to  make  him  humble^ 
teachable,  and  submissive  in  those  things,  which  are  only  to 
be  knov^n  by  divine  communication,  though  absolutely  neces- 
sary for  his  being  and  well-being. 

Much  of  these  notices  concerning  God  and  his  revealed 
truths,  is  to  be  found  in  the  titles  and  terms,  by  which  they 
are  conveyed.  'Tis  a  poor  attempt  to  extend  tiieoJogy,  even 
•as  a  science,  by  any  methods  which  can  be  founds  out  of  the 
language  and  sense  of  the  Bible.  God  is  to  be  known  only  by 
God:  And  he  has  dire6led  to  his  law  and  festitnonv  for  this 
knowledge.  His  word  contains  all  the  true  divinity,  which 
ever  appeared  in  the  world.     They  are,  therefore,  to  be  pi^ 


pa  £  T  E  R  N  A  L     S  P  I  R  I  T. 

tied  for  tlieir  pride  and  presumption,  v/ho  talk  of  the  **  Im- 
provements which  later  ag^s  are  making  in  theological  know- 
ledge;" which  improvements,  if  they  are  inquired  into,  ars' 
mean  and  unsatisfadlory  compilations  of  metaphysical,  ethical, 
and  philosophic  opinions,  coilecledfrom  antient  heathens,  mo- 
dern infidels,  and  other  human  authorities;  having  no  real  con- 
neflion  witli  God's  own  revelation^  orth<tfiiIIe?i  state  of  man, 
but,  in  most  respedls,  entiiely  inconsistent  with  both.  This 
mode  ofpursuing  religious  knowk'ge  has  been  the  occasion  of  all 
the  heresiesandabsurdities,  which  cverappeared  in  the  world^ 
&  possibly  of  most  of  the  inlidcl  &  sceptic  futilities  of  the  pre- 
sent time.  U  Origeji  had  not  studied  P/a:o^  instead  of  St.- 
Piiul,'  it  is  probable,  that  the  v/orld  had  not  heard  o£  Arius, 
nor  of  the  varrous  tribes  which  have  descended  from  him. 
Men  of  easy  principles,  or  who  do  not  trouble  themselves 
to  search  into  the  r.'gbi  lyj//,  where,  alono  trutb  leis  at  the 
bottom,  and  from  whence  only  it  can  be  drawn;  seeing  such 
flimsy  and  dry  di3Courses  upon  subjecls,  wlach  Cicero^  Seneca, 
Siwd  other  heathens,  have  treated,  at  least,  as  rationally  as 
most  later  authors  ;  are  tempted  to  believe,  that  Christianity 
and  heathenism  are  nearly  of  kin,  that  their  morality  is  much 
alike,  and  that  the  v/orks  of  the  philosophers  are  very  en- 
lightened commentaries  upon  the  Bible.  Others,  from  such 
hints,  have  gone  further,  and  treated  the  Bible  itself  as  one 
of  those  old  and  obscure  books,  which  are  hard  to  be  under- 
stood, and  not  even  v/orth  the  labor  of  understanding.  From 
this  mode  of  treating  religious  subje6lsin  protestant  countries, 
and  from  the  mummery  and  ridiculous  varnish  with  which 
they  are  disfigured  in  popish  ;  deis7n  has  gained  its  principal 
ground,  p.nd  in  most  companies  can  now  be  professed  and 
maintained  with  an  open  front.  They  who  know  the  state 
of  religion  in /V^/zc*?,  easily  tell  us,  that  its  first  ecclesias- 
tics arc  almost  universally  deists  ;  and  that  those  who  are 
not  lax,  at  least  in  religious  principles,  are  smiled  upon  as  bi- 
gots or  fools.  And,  with  respecl  to  England^  it  is  quite  e- 
nough  to  say,  that  neither  oaths  nor  subscriptions  can  re- 
strain men  from  disputing  against  the  established  articles, 
founded  as  they  are  upon  the  firmest  basis  of  the  Scriptures  ; 
nor  yet  from  maintaining,  even  within  the  church  itself,  o- 
pinions  which  the  church  abhors.  Than  such  Christians,  it 
must  be  owned,  that  fair  and  open  deists  are  at  least  honester 
and  more  laudable  men. 

As  these  people  neither  lead  tiicmselves  nor  ethers  to  the 
knowledge  of  God,  because  they  either  forsake  or  use  not  his 
own  revelation  ;  we  must  beg  to  leave  them,  and  inquire, 
what  God  hath  said  of,  and  what  He  calls  himself.  His 
namLCS,  communicated  to  us,  are  various  ;  because  tlie  doc- 
trines, v.'liich   those  names   teach  us,  have  a  relation   to  our 


D  T  E  R  N  A  L     S  P  I  R  I  T.  93 

^'■Jirious  wants,  infirmities,  and  dependences  upon  him.  One 
name  would  serve  as  well  as  ten  thousand  ;  if  we  had  bat  one 
relation  to,  or  but  one  idea  of  God.  For  instance;  could 
we,  being  perfe6l  creatures,  as  angels,  only  depend  upon 
him  as  our  great  Creator  ;  that  name  would  have  been  suf- 
ficient for  us  to  declare  him  :  But,  being  sinful  creatures, 
yet  creatures  to  be  redeemed,  our  Creator  stood  iaiuicdi- 
ately  in  .many  relations  to  us,  according  to  our  several 
conditions  of  sinfulness^  recovery,  redemption,  and  sdva- 
tion,  which  it  was  necessary  for  us  to  know,  that  v/e  might 
apply  to  him  under  those  relations  and  receive  every  benjfit 
and  blessing  we  need.  He  hath,  therefore,  suited  himself 
(as  it  were)  to  us  in  the  revelation  of  his  names,  that,  by  the 
do6\rines  they  contain,  we  might  apprehend  oi"  be  brought  in- 
to" those  relations  to  him,  which  those  names  were  intended 
to  signify.  And  as  He  hath  been  pl'^ased  to  inform  us,  that 
He  exists  in  liimself  as  yebovab,  or  one  everlasting  and  al-» 
mighty  essence,  and  as  the  Alehim,  or  three  persons  in  that 
essence,  which  his  word  stiles  Father,  Son,  d^ndi  Spirit ;  so 
He  hath  shewn  us,  bo~jo  this  Son  became  our  Redeemer  as- 
well  as  Creator,  and  ho-Hb  this  Spirit  is  our  Sanctijier,  as  Vv-ell 
as  our  Maker.  These  t^o  divine  persons  in  the  essence  bein^g 
the  declared  agents  of  our  salvation;  they  have  taken  many 
titles  upon  them  to  shew  us,  in  what  sense  they  are  those  a- 
gents,  and  how  they  become  the  fulnllers  of  that  salvation.  By 
them  we  are  led  to  communion  with  t\-\Q first  person,  or  Fa- 
ther ;  who  is  not  called^rj-/  from  any  priority  of  person  or 
existence,  but  only  by  way  of  distinction  ;  for  we  find  the 
Son  placed  first,  and  also  the  Spirit,  and  the  Father  last, 
in  the  same  texts,  on  purpose  to  shew  (as  it  seems)  that 
**"  in  this  Trinity  none  is  afore  or  after  another,  none  is  greater 
or  less  than  another,  but  that  the  whole  three  persons  are  co- 
eternal  together,  and  co-equal."  We  have  considered  many 
of  the  divine  names,  with  respe<5l  to  the  agency  of  the  divine 
persons  ;  and  the  present  denomination  befori  us  is  held  out 
to  our  minds,  that  we  may  hold  communion  With  the  person 
of  the  Spirit,  and  receive  that  comfort  which  it  proposes  ta 
our  souls;  even  everlasting  C3nsolation^hcc:iuze  He  is  ever- 
lasting. 

That  God  is  a  Spirit,  Christ  dechires  ;  that  tlie  Spirit  is 
a  Spirit,  his  name  signifies  ;  and  that  he  is  the  Eternal  Spi- 
rh,  the  word  of  God  expressly  proclaims,  Heb.  ix.  14.  If 
the  Holy  Spirit,  then,  be  the  Eternal ;  it  will  follow,  that  he 
is  true  and  very  God  ;  because  God  only  is  properly  eternal, 
and^one  of  the  creatures  are  called  by  that  name.  No  crea- 
ture coiddh<:t  so  ;  fur  there  was  a  ?/;«i^,  when,  whatever  crca- 

Voh  n.  N 


^^  ETERNAL     SPIRIT. 

tare  can  be  named,  'was  7iot ;  a.'id  therefore  be  could  not  exist 
from  eternity:  And,  consequently,  he  cannot  be  called  an 
eternal  being.  There  is  also  a  place^  in  which  any  one  crea- 
ture is  not  ;  for  a  liraiced  nature  can  oaly  occupy  one  point 
of  space  in  the  eternity  of  being  about  hiiu  :  And  therefore, 
in  this  view,  he  is  not  eternal ;  but  comprehended  by  Hiii, 
whose  FuLLKESs^//jr;5  all  in  all.  But  the  Koly  Spirit  is  the 
Eteknal  Spirit,  who  cvt;r  existed  beyond  ail  points  of  time^ 
and  does  exist  beyond  all  bounds  oi place  ;  and  therefore  He 
is  ihe  eleruitl  God^  who  \%  frorti  everlasting  to  everlasting  With 
resptcl  to  duration,  and  whom  the  heaven  of  heavens  cannot 
co.iiuin  witli  regard  to  hi5  dwelling.  K^i  is  in  all  ages/? ;*^j-t?«/, 
and  in  all  limits  unlimited^  and  possesses  that  eternity^  lubicb 
{;as  Boethiiis  terms  it)  is  at  once  a  whole  and  perfect  possession 
of  an  endless  or  boundless  life.^ 

This  title  oi  Eternal  is  proper  to  God  ;  and,  therefore,  Goc. 
hath  revealed  himself  by  that  name,  and  by  others  which  in- 
clude or  imply  it.  So  Abraham  called  on  the  name  Jehovah 
the  everlasting  God^  Gen.  xxi.  33.  So  the  promise  was  made 
to  Israel^  concerning  the  eternal  God 2Lnd  the  everlasting  arms^ 
Deut.  xxxiii.  27.  So  Jehovah  is  called  in  Isaiah^  the  Ale- 
him  of  ages ^  or  everlasting  Gody  Is.  xl.  2,8.  And  so  the  apos- 
tle, who  calls  the  Spirit  eternal^  uses  the  same  word  in  a- 
nother  place,  as  a  high  and  grand  title  peculiar  to  God  alone^ 
Rom.  vi.   26. 

And  as  God  only  is  eternal,  in  the  stri6l  sense  of  the  term, 
and  the  cause  of  eternity  ;  so  all  eternal  things,  or  things 
■which  shall  remain  to  eternity,  are  ascribed  to  him  as  the  a- 
gent,  and  derived  from  him  as  the  source.  Thus,  his  king- 
dom is  an  everlasting  kingdom  ;  his  power,  an  eternal  power  ; 
his  righteousness,  an  everlasting  righteousness  ;  Iiis  glory,  an 
eternal  glory.  In  like  manner,  what  is  derived  frojn  him, 
partakes  of  his  duration  :  And,  therefore,  his  redeemed  re- 
ceive an  everlasting  consolation^  a  crown  of  glory  which  fad- 
etb  r.oty  a  life  eternal^  and  do  reign  with  him  for  ever  and  ever, 
\\\  a  word,  all,  that  shall  endure  to  eternity,  must  and  doth 
proceed  from  Him,  who  only   can  possess,    in   their  proper 

*  Thjinas  Aquinas,  in  the  first  part  of'  his  Summa  Theologi^^ 
Qnscst.  X.  Art.  i.  has  discussed  tins  passage  o{ Bcethiusviiih  his 
\isuai  metaphysical  subtilty  ;  but  proves  how  pcorly  the  intelle6t  cf 
man  can  conceive,  or  the  pen  cf  man  express,  ^vhat  is  infinite  and 
unbounded.  The  French  hermit  who  spent  his  wlrole  life  in  ponder- 
ing (as  he  said)  upon  Eternity,  might  have  spent  a  thousand  lives, 
and  then  be  beginning  only  to  think  upon  it. — There  is  a  sensible 
essayupcn  thi.i  topicof  i^/enz/Vvin  the  .S)5cc/a;or,  No.  590.  And  for 
a  more  metaphysical  and  philosophical  disquisition,  see  Gale's 
CcurtrfihiCeiitik:.,     Fart  iv.  p.  276—288. 


E  T  E  R  N  A  L     S  P  I  R  I  T.  y^ 

sense  and  relation  to  each  other,  those  glorious  titles  ot^  Je- 
hovah Alehim  the  Truth,  the  veuy  Alehix  of  Lives 
(or  of  all  life,)  Tiir;  King  of  Eternity,     jcr.  x.   lo. 

From  hence  it  appears,  that  scarce  any,  and  perhaps  no, 
word  could  more  positively  assert  the  truth  of  the  Deity, 
than  this  one  word  Eternal  ;  and,  accordiiigly,  v.^e  find  it 
ascribed  to  no  being  Vv^hatever,  but  to  that  high  und  lofiy  One, 
ivbo  Inbabitetb^''^  ttern'Uy.  All  the  multitude  of  the  blest,  all 
the  angels  of  God,  are  immortal^  and,  in  G^d,  shall  pmiici- 
pate  -jij'iaure  eternity  :  But  not  one  of  theiii  can  say,  tliut 
he  existed  from  vAlpast  eternity,  since,  in  that  case,  be  must 
deny  himself  to  be  a  creature;  because  all  creation,  with 
respedi  to  the  being  which  created,  is  a  beginning  to  be. 
None  of  these,  therefore,  are  eternal',  Noae  of  these  possess 
eternity  in  their  own  nature,  or  from  themselves  ;  hut  are 
limited  in  the  quantity  and  quality  of  their  e-xistence,  and 
are  dependent  fur  the  continuance  o*  it.  Now,  then,  as  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  expressly  styled  the  Eternal  Spirit,  with- 
out any  expression  of  his  dependence  or  derivation,  but  the 
contrary  ;  it  is  a  plain  and  precise  declaration,  from  the  word 
of  truth',  that  He  is. the  Eternal  God,  v/ho  'ijas  in  Christ 
reconciling  the  ^ujorld  oi  his  ele6l  to  himself^  and  ihrough-uobom 
Christ  Ojjtred  up  himself  without  spot  to  God^i.  e.  the  Father. 

If,  after -so  positive  a  testimony,  any  one  can  doubt  of  the 
divinity  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  it  may  be  v/orth  while  to  recur 
to  the  xxxir.  chapter  of  Deuteroiiomy,  in  which  we  have  a 
definition  of  all  false  gods,  with  their  abomination  in  the 
sight  oi  Jehovah.  The  striking  circumstance,  laid  down  in 
their  character,  is,  that  they  are  ;2t"iv,  nevjly  come  up^  oF  a 
Jate  original  ^  strange^  of  a  nature  remote  from  the  divine,  and 
diiferent  irom  it.  The  idolaters,  therefore,  were  cursL-dybr 
their  gods,  or  the  devils  who  so  imposed  themselves  upon 
them,  and  nuitb  their  gods.  This  service  to  these  ne-vj  and 
finite  beings  is  called,  by  Jsaiahy  a  rebelling  end  vexing  the 
Holy  Sfirit;  and  the  puni shine nt  was,  that  this  Holy  Spi- 
rit was  turned  to  be  their  enemy,  and  fought  against  tbeni.  Is. 

*  The  ^yord  implies  not  only  to  occupy  or///  by  inhabiting,  but 
to  rest  as  in  an  habitation.  To  occupy,  therefore,  eternity  as  a 
•wiioie,  and  to  rest  in  that  whole,  is  a  most  sublime  expression  of 
the  posver  of  the  divine  Majesty.  Human  authors  have  attempted 
this  sense  in  their  expressions  of  his  eternity,  particularly  some 
oftheantient  philosophers.  Boethhis,  the  Christian  philosopher, 
addresses  God  very  nearly  in  this  idea: 

-^Staiblisque  vianens  das  cuncta  mcveri. 

The  Rabbins  are  said  to  call  God  ino^p^  Place,  \vith  the  same 
notion  of  his  resting  or  standing  in  all  that  exists.  By  this  word,  they 
-would  express  his  omnipresence  ;  as,  by  r^.lDp::,  [literally,  without 
tnd]  they  mean  hi^  eternity^  or  infnitude. 


96  E  T  E  R  N  A  L     S  P  I  R  I  T. 

Ixiii,  lo.  But,  wherefore?  Because  they  left  the  service  of 
Him,  who  Is  the  only  true  and  everlasting  God,  and  turned 
to  idols,  who  are  false  znndjifiite,  and  therefore  are  termed 
vanities^  emptir.csses^  yiotbings.  '  In  opposition  to  all  these 
vanities  and  errors,  Jehovah  speaks  so  often  of  his  everlast- 
ing name^  and  of  the  eternal  duration  of  his  nature  and  attri- 
butes.* 

In  this  view,  what  a  blasphemy  must  it  be  to  ascribe  the 
epithet  Eternal  to  any  being  but  the  great  One  ;  to  Him, 
who  fills  eternity  with  his  presence,  and  who  is  himself  the 
very  life  and  spring  of  eternity?  And,  on  the  other  hand, 
how  dirc6l  a  testimony  is  this  ascription  to  the  Holy  Ghost, 
that  H3  is  tlio  eternal  Jehovah,  whose  kingdom  is  an  evcr- 
Lsting  klngdjm^  and  whose  dominion  enduretb  throughout  all 

Nee.l  we  more  proof  of  the  divinity  of  this  gracious  Spirit 
from  th3  ewrnity  of  his  nature? — Blessed  be  God  for  his 
v/ord,  we  have  (if  required)  proof  upon  proof,  as  well  as  line 
vpcn  line.     What  think  we  of  the  following  Scripture  ? 

Gal.  vi.  8.  //>,  that  soivefh  to  the  Spirit,  shally  £>c  ra  UvEvij^xlo^y 
of  or  from  the  Spirit  [i.  e.  by  the  Spirit'' s  gift  and  power] 
reap  life  everlasting.     From  hence  innay  be  argued,  that 

lie,  who  bestoweth  life  everlasting,  must  be  the  author  and 
possessor  of  it : 

But  eternal  life  (says  the  apostle,  in  Rom.  vi.  23.)  is  the 
gift  cfGoD: 

Therefore,  the  Spirit,  from  whom  it  is  reaped,  or  deriv- 
ed, and  by  whom  consequently  it  is  bestowed,  is  necessarily 
God. 

To  the  real  Christian,  this  title  of  Eternal  Spirit  af- 
fords a  hope  full  of  immortality.  He  is  led  to  perceive, 
from  the  eternity  of  his  nature,  that  He  is  capable  of  perform- 
ing all  the  great  and  glorious  operations  ascribed  to  Him  in  the 
Scriptures,  and  that  those  operations  upon  this  account,  are 
permanent  tivhS.  perpetual.  Only  because  He  is  the  Eternal, 
could  He  be  a  party  in  the  everlasting  covenant  made  before 
all  worlds,  of  which  so  frequent  mention  is  made:  Only  be- 
cause He  is  God^  could  He  stipulate  to  bestow  those  blessings 
ot  grace  and  of  glory,  which  spring  from  Jehovah,  and  are  at 
his  sole  disposal.  His  purpose  is  an  eternal  purpose,  because, 
both  in  essence  and  person,  he  himself  is  eternal. 

*  There  is  a  grand  idea  of  the  superiority  of  the  divine  nature 
lo  all  the  descriptions  and  conceptions  of  lime  in  those  words,  which 
Mjses  hath  used  in  the  xc.  psalm.  A  thousand  years  in  thy  sight  are 
hilt  as  yesterday,  when  it  is  past.  Sec.  i.  e.  As  the  day  past, 
which  bcin-j  now  no  more,  is  less  to  us  than  the  present  existing 
j-nomcnt ;  so  are  a  thousand  years  almost  a  nothing  in  the  eternity 
of  God. 


ETERNAL     S  P  I  II  I  T.  97 

Hence  the  believer  sees.,  that  this  counsel  is  also  immuta- 
hk,  (ior  nothing  can  be  eternal  ox  perfect^  which  is  subjccSt  to 
mutability )  not  exposed  to  diminution  or  change,  but  ordir- 
td  171  all  things  and  sure  ;  that  all  these  things  were  known 
to  Him  from  eternity,  not  because  they  might  exist,  but  be- 
because,  in  his  purpose  which  could  not  alter,  they  must  tx- 
ist;  and  that  He  beholds  the  whole  series  of  things,  not  as 
they  arise  to  our  view  in  parts  or  degrees^  but  as  one  great 
whole,  of  which  He  Hiniself  is  the  one  gieat  cause.  When  a 
man  stands  upon  a  mountain  (to  use  a  simile  of  the  school- 
men,) he  can  see  an  whole  army  in  march  fxoin  the  beginning 
to  the  end  at  one  view  ;  while  another,  who  walks  in  tlie  val- 
ley and  is  a  part  of  the  train,  can  see  but  ve^y  few,  and  those 
only  who  are  close  about  him.  So  God  (if  one  may  compare 
immensity  by  minuteness)  vievvs  at  once  all  infinitude  ;  and 
all  things  revolve  in  the  order,  in  which  he  hath  placed  them,- 
this  order,  consequently,  is  iviimutable  and  not  to  be  broken. 

Hence,  likewise,  the  Christian  is  led  to  consider  ihe  Om- 
nipresence of  the  divine  Spirit,  who  only  can  be  so,  as  He 
is  eternal.  It  has  been  observed  before,  that  a  creature  must 
be  confined  to  place.,  and  must  begin  with  tijne,  13ut  this  al- 
mighty Spirit,  as  he  is  never  no-v)here-,  so  he  always  exists-. 
He  is  present  witn  the  blest  in  heaven,  and  never  absent 
from  the  redeemed  on  "earth.  In  every  moment  of  thne,  he 
diffuses  his  everlasting  consolation  through  ail  the  mansions, 
the  innumerable  mansions  of  glory,  and  sheds  his  sacred  in- 
fluences upon  all,  even  the  meanest,  believers  in  houses  of 
jclay.  From  pole  to  pole  it  is  but  as  a  point  with  him  who 
views  the  various  nations  of  this  habitable  globe,,  like  a  few 
atortis  of  dust,  As  jerom  phrases  it  ;  '"'•  Tne  court  of  hea- 
ven is  equally  open  at  once  for  'Jerusalnn  and  Britai.i."^ 
There  is  not  a  sigh  of  prayei",  nor  an  emotion  of  praise,  how- 
ever secret  in  any  of  his  people's  hearts,  but  what  he  per- 
fectly knows,  because  he  first  imparted  it  to  them.  He  knows 
indeed  the  mind  of  every  spirit;  but  especially  the  mind  of 
those,  who  are  the  objecls  of  his  peculiar  care. 

From  hence,  lastly,  the  believer  is  privileged  to  rejoice, 
that,  as  his  salvation  is  not  the  purpose  of  a  day,  nor  rose 
upon  the  spur  of  some  accidental  occasion,  so  it  shall  endure, 
like  its  great  and  bountifuj  Author, /or  evermore.  God  gives 
like  himself:  And  his  gift  is  eternal  life  through  Jesus  Chriso:. 
The  Spirit  imparts  this  blessing,  through  his  own  divine  na- 
ture, maintains  it  amidst  all  the  agitations  of  an  evil  heart 
and  an  evil  world,  and  secures  it,  beyond  all  possibility  of 
decay,  throughout  his  ow^n  eternity. — W'th  how  much  rea- 
son, then,  may  the  believer  entertain  everlasting  consolation^ 
and  good  hope  through  grace  P  With  how  much  absurdity,  do 
•those  persons  think  or  t:;ik  of  either,  who  dream  of  this  HjU' 


pS  E  T  E  R  N  A  L     S  P  I  R  I  T. 

Spirit,  as  a  crsature^  an  emanation^  a  quality^  a  7iotbing  P-^li 
He  be  only  a  creatiirii  ;  to  iis^  in  respedl  to  the  eternity  of 
our  salvation,  he  is  but  as  notbing* 

What  comfort  results  from  this  whole  matter  to  the  weak, 
the  troubled  or  desponding  ?oul!  Come,  build  upon  this  ^^ri 
of  ages y  and  thou  shalt  never  fail,  never  be  moved.  Remem- 
ber, Ills  kingdom  is  a  kingdom  of  all  ages  [Ps.  clxv.  13. 
rna.-?/ni,]  and  his  dj/ninicn  tbroughout  all  generations.  He 
hatii  c^isit'jd  thee  in  thy  generaLion,  and  setup  a  throne  with- 
in thy  heart  for  his  own  praise.  Now,  look  to  him  upon  his 
throne  j  and  seek  to  ask  in  prayer  nothing  but  what  shall  be 
for  thy  real  welfare,  and  to  offer  m  praise  nothing  but  vv'hat 
shall  be  for  his  own  glory  :  At  the  san>e  time,  pray  to  leave 
and  give  up  tlie'  whole  into  his  hands.  Then,  rest  assured, 
upon  the  faithfiilness  of  his  own  word  and  promise,  that  thy 
praise  shall  be  accepted,  and  thy  prayer  ansv/crcd,  through 
Chrisc  Jesus.i — "  But  I  want  comfort  ;  and  surely,  I  should 
have  Jt,  if  I  belonged  to  him."  O  that  selfish  spirit,  which 
ever  rises  within  us  1  Thou  ivantest  this  thing  ;  thou  ivantest 
the  other  ;  thou  zoantest  heaven  upon  earth  ;  all  comforts  and 
no  troubles  :  But  if  it  be  ior  God's  glory,  that  thou  shouldest 
war.t  all  these  things  (like  thosenoble  believers  in  Hebr.  xi.) 
throughout  thy  whole  Vv^ay  to  heaven  ;  art  thou  willing  that 
God's  purpose  should  be  answered,  rather  than  thine  ^  Speak 
to  thy  heart,  reader  ;  and  bid  it  tell  thee  no  lie. — canst  thou 
give  up  all,  without  reserve,  to  God's  will  ;  and  keep  back 
no  part  from  hira  l  —  I  know,  thou  art  staggered  at 
this  inquiry,  and  hast  need  to  make  a  very  long  pause — con- 
sider v>'cli ;  and  pronounce  not  hastily. — In  the  mean  time, 
recoliecr,  that  to  induce  this  disposition  in  thy  soul,  to  v/ork 
this  ;7(7>ydife  within  thee,  and  to  break  down  the  strength  of 
the  old ;  is  one  gre^it  end  of  ail  the  divine  visitations  within 
thee,  and  upon  thy  affairs.  Providence,  to  a  believer,  has  no 
end  but  grace  :  And  when  the  efFe6ls  and  purposes  oF  grace 
are  accoini)lished  in  him  and  by  hira,  he  has  no  more  business 
in  this  life.  Our  unhappiness  consists,  as  Clvistians,  in  getting 
into  a  multitude  of  things ^  for  our  own  ends  or  with  relation 
to  others,  without  committing  our  way  to  the  Lord,  submit- 
ting to  his  will,  o.r  considering  his  glory.  We  feel  hurt  and 
disappointed,  if  our  wishes  are  not  attained;  if  men  annoy 
us  ;  if  our  aflairs  are  entangled  ;  if  our  persons  are  slighted  ; 
if  we  fall  into  sickness,  decay,  or  tribulation.  And  can  all 
xh\s  c'^l/ction  spring  ou^  of  the  ground  P  No,  indeed  :  There 
is  a  verv  superior  cause  ;  and  as  merciful  (could  we  view  it 
anght)  ns  it  is  superior.  We  are  all,  by  nature,  froward  chil- 
dien,  and  want  much  weaning.  The  earth  is  our  mother,  and 
we  love  hCT  milk:  And  we  often  roar  aloud,  only  because  we 
cannot  obtain  it.  J3ut  God,  \\iiw\x\^^  provided  some  better  thing 


ETERNAL     SPIRIT.  90 

for  tis^  takes  us  oft' from  undue  attachment  to  what   me-n  call 
ibeir   comforts  and   enjoyments,  makes  us  feel  how  poor  and 
wretched  we  are  in  our  ownselves,  and  at  length  draws  us  on 
progressively  to  himself.  We  are  then  more  and  more  in  car- 
nest,  that  he  would  not  merely  bestow  temporary^  but  ever- 
lasting consolations  upon  us.      If  we  get  indeed  into  the  spi- 
rit of  the  world,  let  our  pretences  be  what  they  may  ;  we  are 
sure  to  lose  the  sweet  presence  of  God^s  gracious  bpirii,  and 
to  go  lean  and  dry  in  our  souls.  And  this  is  one  great  reason 
of  the  empty,  barren  profession  of  the  gospel,  which  we  see 
in  so  many  sad  instances  about  us  at  this  time. — Speak,  leaaer, 
to  thy   heart ;  and  ask,  if  it  hath   not  been  so  with  tbtt  ^^ — 
Thou  hast  i//V/;z/;^^  perhaps  for  Christ  and  his  gospel,  and  in- 
deed  very  sincerely  at  the  bottom,  but  at  the  same  time  with 
a   secret   wish  to  display   thy  own   knowledge  or  talents,  or 
with  the  little  mean  view  of  conquering  an  oppouent.     T.^.ou 
didst  not  dispute  by  Christ,  as  well  asyor  him  ;  and,  theie- 
fore,  when  thou  retiredst  to  thyself,  thou  hadst  na  other  ae- 
light  or  complacency,  but  the  poor  flat  satisfaciion  of  having 
had  the  hardest  head  or  the  most  voluble  tongue.*     \Vhei» 
thou  earnest  to  thyself,  hpw  glad  wo-uldst  thou  have  been,  not 
to  have  disputed  at  all  ?      Christ  was  not  glorified,  thy  heart 
not  edifteu,   and  perhaps   some   other  persons  only  offended. 
The  martyr  was  in  a  much  better   frame,  who  said,  •"'  I  can- 
not dispute  for  Christ  j  but  I  can  die  for  him."— Thou  hast 
mixed,  perhaps,  with  the  great  run  of  the  professing  world, 
which,  alas  1   hath  its  passions  like  the  rest  of  the  world  at 
large.     Thou  hast  heard  great  outcries  about  patriotism,  and 
Protestanisin,  and  liberty  of  conscience,  and  many  other  tine 
sounding  names  ;  and  hast  been  persuaded,  it  may  be,  to  run 
with  a  multitude,  v/ho  have  talked  much,  and  loudly  too,   of 
all   these  things,  till  thou  hast  been  as  heated,  .if  not  as  idle 
and  ripe  for  folly,  as  they.     But,  who  opposes  the  Antichrist 
in  reality  ? — He,  who  hath  ceased  from  man,  and  depends  up- 
on  the   living  God.     Who   is    the   true  patriot  i — He,  whr> 
prays  for  his   king  and   country,  rather  than  he,   who  oniy^ 
prates    about    ihem  ?    Who  enjoys  and  proniotcs   liberty^  of 
conscience  ? — The  Christian,  v/ho  possesses  God's  free  Spi- 
rit, v/ho  hath  this  noisy   foolish  v/orld  under  his  tect,^  who 
tramples  upon   the   pov/ers  of  darkness,  and  whose  aim  is, 
that  the  everlasting  gospel  may  be  sent  forth  to  ail  the  world. 
Out  of  this  frame  and  temper,  the  believev  is  out  of  his  ele- 

*  If  the  reader  would  v/ish  to  examine  his  mothss  of  aQing  or 
speaki.ig  lor  God,  he  may  find  a  touciistone  for  his  he^rt^^and 
toucJutj'nts  every  sincere  believer  desires)  in  a  very  exccHent  ser- 
mon, preached  by  the  .late  Rcv.  xUr.  Lcstwici.,  styled  ^'-y  c.j- 
claimeJ.  and  Christ  exaittd. 


rod  r,  T  E  R  N  A  L     S  P  I  R  I  T. 

ment,  fin<ls  no  liberty,  and  can  justly  expe6l  none.  God".* 
flock  is  a  quiet  assembly  :  Dogs  and  wolves  only  set  up  a 
roaring, — Art  thou  ofFeiided  at  this,  reader  ! — -turn  inward  ; 
and  first  be  offended  at  thyself.  Take  sham'e  to  thy  heart, 
that  thou  hast  ever  allowed  such  odious  dispositions  within 
Christ's  sacred  temple  ;  and  much  more,  if  thou  hast  ever 
dared  to  plead  for  them.  Regret,  that  thou  liast  been  so  for- 
getful of  thv  true  strength  as  a  Christian,  as  to  employ  any 
thing,  but  (what  indeed  is  an  *'  invincible  Armada")  fu'itL 
zvA prayer^  in  the  behalf  of  thyself  and  others  ;  and  seek  a- 
biiity  and  wisdom  to  handle  those  truly  "f^ol^nt  weapons ^  which' 
the  apostle  recommends  to  our  use,  in  2  Cor.  x.  In  co^ti- 
pun5llon  of  thine  own  spirit,  implore  the  power  of  God's- 
Spirii^  that  his  kingtoin  may  be  quietly  established  in  thy 
heart  over  all  the  rebellions  of  the  jnan  of  sin  which  are  in 
it;  and,  in  the  room  of  the  abominable  rage  and  follies  of  the 
men  of  the  world,  that  thou  maye^t  receive  the  vjisdorii^vhicb 
is  from  above  ^  whicti  \s  Jirst  pure^  then  peaceable^  gentle^  easy 
to  be  iutrc'ited^  full  of  mercy  and  good  fruits^  ivithout  ivrang- 
//;/^  [*'^waj>tp<lo5]  or  censuring,  and  without  hypocrisy^  James  iii, 
17.  Re.nember,  Christian,  if  ever  thou  fallest  into  a  contro- 
versy or  cabal,  that  there  is  such  a  text  as  this  in  thy  Bible. 
As  the  ways  of  the  world  are  not  the  nuays  of  peace  ;  so' 
there  is  but  one  spring  of  comfort  in  this  dreary  wilderness. 
I'he  Eternal  Spirit^  shining  upon  his  word,  can  only  illumi-v 
rate  the  darkness  of  our  minds  ;  and,  pouring  forth  his  own 
gladness,  can  only  refresh' our  hearts.  Looking  simply  to 
him,  O  believer,  thou  art  safe  among  all  the  corruptions  of 
ttainc  own  nature,  and  amidst  all  the  confusions  of  time  about 
ttiee.  Come  what  may,  (and  nothing  can  come  but  what  thy 
I'ather  wills)  all  shall  work  together  for  thy  good*  To  the- 
v/orki  it  may  seem^  and  may  be  otherwise:  but  thou  art  not  to 
reckonyro^Tt  the  world,nor  w/>i6  it.  Thou  hast  a  sacred  record" 
K•^  peruse,  sure  and  fixed  as  the  being  and  throne  of  God:  And 
f>.oin  this  record,  thou  art  to  t'ike  the  estimate  of  all  things. 
There  is  a  sanctuary  into  which  thou  art  privileged  to  go, 
and  to  learn  tlie  ends  of  providence  and  grace;  while  those, 
who  remain  without^  sc-e  nothing  but  either  confusions  or 
themselves.  In  this  holy  oracle^  thoir  wnlt  find  the  under- 
standings which  is  true  ;  and,  by  it,  thou  shalt  be  guided  into 
(dl  the  truth.  No  outward  things  can  harm  thee;  if  all  be 
but  right  within  :  And  it  is  thy  privilege  to  receive  the  dis- 
pensations of  heaven,  in  a  ve-ry  different  frame  from  the  men 
of  the  world.  What  consumes  them,  should  only  purify  thee. 
'•'•  In  the  same  fire,  (said  a  venerable  father)  gold  brightens, 
and  rubbish  fumes  ;  under  the  same  stroke,  the  chaff  is  bruis- 
ed, and  li^ie  (;orn  educed:  Nor  are  the  husks  confounded  wU-h' 
the  oil,  under  the  pressure  of   the  same  weight.     Even-so^ 


ETERNAL     SPIRI  T.  loi 

tlie  same  visitation  proves,  purifies,  and  purges  the  Clnisti- 
an  ;  while  it  ruins,  wastes,  and  destroys  the  man  of  ihe 
world.  This  last  rages  and  blasphemes  ;  while  the  other 
prays  and  gives  thanks  to  God,  in  one  and  the  same  afiliction. 
From  whence  it  appears,  that  it  is  not  of  so  much  conse- 
quence, what  things  are  suffered,  as  'wii^at  the  persons  are  v/ho 
suffer  them,*  Let  aman  he  a  Cluistian,  and  let  him  suffer 
CIS  a  Christian;  it  shall  all  be  well  with  him  at  the  last.  Tl:e 
lieavenly  Potter  puts  liis  vessels  into  the  furnace  of  tribula- 
tion, not  to  break  them,  but  to  fit  them  for  use  and  gioiy-  a 
Tim.  ii.  21.  Our  light  affliction  (light,  even  where  heaviest) 
'which  is  but  for  a  moment^  vjorktth  Jor  us  afar  more  exceed- 
ing  and  eternal  ^w eight  of  glory  ;  while  we  hoi  not  at  the 
things  which  are  seen^  but  at  the  things  which  are  not  seen  ; 
for  tbt  things^  which  are  seen^  are  temporal ;  but  the  things^ 
which  are  not  seen,  are  eternal,    i  Cor.  iv.  16,  17. 

And  why  should  thej  look  at,  and  much  less  be  swallov/- 
ed  up  in,  temporal  matters,  who  have  an  eternal  hope,  an 
eternal  life,  an  eternal  home,  an  eternal  Spirit,  for 
their  comfort,  portion,  and  everlasting  security  ?  O  why 
should  such  heirs  of  glory  wallow  in  the  dung,  or  covet  the 
dross,  of  this  giddy,  dying  world  !  Why  should  such  immor- 
tals be  bowed  down  to  the  dregs  of  mortality !  At  this  angels 
may  wonder,  and  Christians  should  mourn — should  mourn, 
that  angels  have  reason  to  wonder  and  be  astonished,  that 
Christians  can  stoop  so  low,  and  rise  so  heavily  to  join  in  the 
anthems  of  praise.  Could  we  see,  what  angels  and  those  spi- 
rits of  the  just  now  behold,  to  whom  the  veil  of  corruption 
is  no  more  ;  what  mariner  of  persons  should  we  aim  to  be  ? — 
It  seems  almost  impossible,  when  we  get  a  little  way  up  the 
mount  on  which  they  stand,  that  our  apprehensions  of  divine 
things  should  ever  sink  so  Jow  into  this  vale  of  tears,  as  they 
too — too  often  do.  With  what  sense  and  force,  hath  every 
heart  a  reason,  even  the  most  enlivened  heart  among  us,  to 
cry  out  ;  IVoe  is  me,  that  I  sojourn  in  Mesech,  that  I  dwell  in 
the  tents  of  Kedar  ! — Corruption  presses  hard  upon  us  on 
every  side  ;  and  darkness,  with  all  its  pov»rer,  combines  to 
attack  our  minds.  O  for  more  of  this  eternal  Spirit  to  dis- 
pel the  encroaching  gloom,  and  to  chear  us  with  his  heaven- 
ly light  ! — We  are  called  out  of  nothing  ;  we  were  spoken 
into  being,  when  it  Vv^as  by  no  means  necessary  that  we  should 
exist  at  ail,  and,  by  a  wonderful  act  of  the  freest  grace  and 
mercy,  are  made  partakers  of  an  everlasting  existence,  AVith 
what  humility  and  prostration  of  sou^^  should  we,  therefore, 
entertain  this  benent,  and  the  means,  which  God's  infinite 
Vol.  IL  O 

*  Aug.  de  civit.  Dei,  1.  i.  c  8. 


lo-w  C  O  II  F  O  R  T  E  R. 

condescension  used  to  procure  it  ?  How  happy  in  our  hearts, 
how  holy  In  our  lives,  ought  we  to  be,  in  thankfulness  for  such 
unmerited,  such  superabundant  good  !  for  g^od,  which  our 
thankfulness  cannot  fully  acknowledge  ;  no,  not  even  to 
eternity.  Eternity  will  not  complete  this  joyful  employment, 
though  it  v»^ill  be  continued  through  eternity.  It  will  ever 
be  "beginning  to  begin  ;"  never  ending,  nor  approaching  an 
end. — "'  O  my  soul  1  says  the  Christian  ;  is  this  thine  ineffa- 
ble portion,  through  the  love  of  the  Father^  the  grace  of  the 
Son^  and  the  power  of  the  eternal  Spirit ,-  and  shall  I  not 
stand  with  rapture  and  amazement,  at  such  a  confluence  of 
all  the  divint  attributes,  in  all  the  divine  persons,  for  such  a 
poor,  such  a  helpless,  worthless  sinner  I  Can  I  v/ithhold  my 
feeble  praise,  can  I  suppress  the  grateful  emotions  of  my  soui^ 
to  whom  so  much  is  given,  and  so  much  forgiven  !— O  no  !  I 
ought  not,  I  would  not,  I  cannot.  Let  me  join  in  the  trium« 
phant  fervor  of  the  holy  Polycarp^  who,  when  he  v»ras  leading 
to  martyrdom,  could  lift  up  his  voice  and  say,  0  tboit  true 
and  faithful  God  ;  I  praise^  and  hies s^  and  glorify  tbec  in  all 
things^  by  the  eternal  God  and  high  priest  Christ  Jesus,  thy  Be- 
loved Son  ;  through  Hxhom^  and  ^ith  nuhom^  and  also  "jjitb  the 
Holy  Spirit,  be  the  glory  ascribed  to  thee  both  now  and  for 
ever  /  Let  me  join  in  spirit  with  that  blessed  and  enraptured 
throng,  who,  with  a  great  voice  and  unspeakable  ardor,  are 
shouting  in  heaven  ;  hallelujah  J  salvation,  and  glory  ^andponv- 
er,  and  honour,  unto  the  Lord  our  GoD  :  Even  so,  hallelujah  ! 
Amen.''' — Thou  shalt  join  them,  happy  soul  ;  for  the  Lord 
hath  spoken  it:  Thou  shalt  join  them,  in  the  power  of  the 
ETERNAL  SpiRiT,  never  more  to  be  separated  throughout 
eternity. — Lay  aside  the  willow,  then,  and  take  up  the  palm  ; 
shouting,  and  for  ever  shouting,  Hallelu-JAH  ! 


COMFORTER. 

LEARNED  men  are  divided  upon  the  proper  signification 
of  the  original  v/ord.  Some  contend  that  the  Paraclete'. 
is  so  called,  because  of  his  office  a??  comforter  ;  and  others 
believe  that  the  name  striclly  signifies  an  advocate.  The 
word,  very  probably,  relates  to  both  ;  for,  in  the  application 
of  the  office  to  his  people's  souls,  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  an  advo- 
cate with  God  in  them,  is  also  their  inward  comforter  by  the 
ex/?rcise  of  his  intercession.     He  is  their  comforter^  by  ex- 


COMFORTER.  103 

plaining  how  much  he  is  their  friend  r.nd  advocate^  who  has 
taken  upon  himself  their  everlasting  interests,  and  who  will 
never  leave  nor  forsake  them.  The  dispute,  therefore, -seems 
rather  a  strife  of  ivords^  since  the  thing  implied  is  nearly  one 
and  the  same.  We  will  treat  of  the  name  in  both  views,  and 
endeavour  to  shew,  that,  in  both.  He  who  is  this  Paraclete^ 
must  be  God,  and  therefore  able  to  perform,  v/hatev-^r  the  il- 
lustrious name  signifies,  for  the  salvation  of  his  people. 

The  title  remarkably  occurs  in  our  Saviour's  last  affeding 
discourses  to  his  disciples.  He  was  about  to  remove  from 
them,  and,  with  respe^l  to  their  outwdrd  sense,  to  relinquish 
the  office  of  his  personal  protection  and  comfort,  which,  from 
their  first  calling,  they  had  enjoyed  continually  from  him.  It 
was  needful  and  expedient  for  them^  that  he,  in  his  person  as 
Christy  should  depart  from  their  bodies,  in  order  that  the 
Spirit  of  truth  might  perform  his  spiritual  funcfions  of  salva- 
tion in  their  souls.  For  it  very  plainly  appears,  that  ail  iheir 
£rst  knowledge  of  Christ  was  but  ojter  the  fitsh  {ju  Cor.  v. 
16.)  and  that  they  had  but  poor  and  low  conceptions  of  his 
spiritual  kingdom,  and  of  the  spiritual  state  into  which  it  was 
necessary  for  them  to  be  brought ;  until  the  Spirit  descend- 
ed from  on  high,  and  made  them  a  very  diHereiit  sort  of  men. 
Christ,  as  God,  could,  no  doubt,  have  effe6led  this  mighty 
change  in  their  minds;  but  it  is  evident,  that  he  did  not ;  and 
it  is  as  evident,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  did.  The  reason  seems 
equally  obvious  ;  for,  as  Christ  had  declared,  that  except  a 
man  be  born  of  the  Spirit  he  could  not  enter  into  thekingdom  ; 
so  the  assumption  of  this  ofHce  by  the  Spirit  was  to  be  mani- 
fested in  a  way  no  less  explicit  than  illustrious,  upon  the  first 
and  greatest  of  the  disciples,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  On 
that  day,  a  visible  demonstration  was  given  to  the  then 
church,  and  through  it  to  the  church  in  all  future  ages,  that 
the  DiviNi  Spirit  was  the  great  ag*nt  both  to  purify,  as 
with  Jire^  the  souls  of  the  redeemed,  and  also,  to  impart  wis- 
dom, and  to  enable  them  to  speak  wisdom  to  others,  by  being 
to  each  of  them  a  cloven  tongue.  The  Spirit  had  exercised 
this  ofHce,  in  fa6l,  from  the  beginning;  as,  in  the  same  man- 
ner, Christ  was  a  Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  ofthe^ivcrld: 
For  as  the  benefit  oi  his  mediatorial  oilice  began  with  Adjrii^ 
Abel^  and  the  first  of  the  faithful  ;  so  did  the  cfjicccy  of  the 
Spirit'*s  work,  in  applying  Christ's  atonement  and  mediation 
to  them.  This  benefit  and  efficacy  were  always  (like  the 
great  agents  themselves)  distinct  as  to  circum.stances  in  the 
faith  of  believers,  but  never  divided:  They  went  (as  it 
were)  pari  passu^  or  hand-in-hand;  so  that  wherever  the 
blood  of  propiti-iition  w^as  sprinkled,  in  the  purpose  of  the 
covenant;  the  testimony  or  sealing  of  the  Spirit  foliowed  of 
course,  according  to  trie  same  purpose.     Tg  w///  and  to  d^ 


10^  COMFORTER. 

with  God,  are  as  indivisible  as  the  attributes  from  which 
(according  co  our  notions)  the  ^willing  and  the  acting 
4o  proceed:  And,  therefore,  as  Christ  "voas  to  be  the  Lamb 
slain  without  the  possibility  of  a  failure,  and  is  said,  upon 
this  ground,  to  have  been  slain  from  the  beginning;  so  the 
Holy  Spirit  tfvas  promised  to  be  the  Spirit  of  wisdom  and  re- 
velation to  his  people,  that  they  might  know  their  salvation, 
but  yet  was  ever  tliat  same  Spirit  of  wisdom  who  spoke  by  the 
prophets  and  otber  holy  mcn^  and  who  opened  his  mysteries  to 
believers,  from  the  foundation  of  the  world.  All  this  was 
done,  because  the  covenant  and  purpose  of  the  Godhead 
could  not  but  be  fulfilled;  for  to  him  all  things  are  present^ 
and  the  intention  and  act  the  same.  Christ  could  not  but  per- 
form his  undertakings  ;  nor  could  the  Spirit  fail  in  his.  An 
immutable  determination  existed  in  both,  as  persons  in  the 
Godhead:  And,  the  whole  Godhead  or  essence  was  engaged 
in  the  operations  of  the  respedtive  persons.  There  is  no 
making  sense  of  the  Bible,  but  upon  this  foundation:  And 
upon  this  foundation,  there  is  the  most  wonderful  harmony, 
wisdom,  trath,  righteousness,  and  mercy,  pervading  the 
■whole  of  its  revelation  ;  so  as  to  render  it  to  those,  whose 
understandings  are  open  to  understand h  (Luke  xxiv.  45.)  the 
most  delightful  as  well  as  most  interesting  book  in  the  world. 
The  ivant  of  this  view  hath  been  attended  with  many  otber 
wants  ;  for  when  Christ  and  the  mind  of  his  Spirit  do  not  ap- 
pear as  the  basis  and  substratum  of  ^//  religion  ;  moral  virtue j 
Jitness^  propriety^  and  many  other  fine  names  become  m.ere 
names  only^  and  are  scarce  understood  in  fa6l  by  those  who 
use  them.  Yet  the  fashionable  divinity  of  the  day  is  founded 
upon  these  sounding  words  and  notions— ;75i?/(5;zj,  which  are 
rot  realized  by  those  who  talk  of  them,  and  which  cannot  be 
realized  at  any  rate  by  any  fallen,  helpless,  sinful  worms, 
without  the  power  of  that  Spirit^  which  many  of  those  worms 
affe^l  to  ridicule  or  deny.  It  may  well  be  called  r.iodern 
divinity  ;  for,  God  knows,  it  has  very  little  connedlion  v/n\} 
his  most  antient  book  the  Bible. 

Spiritual  and  eternal  consolation,  wrought  or  established 
in  the  soul,  is  an  a(5l  of  God  only.  Believers  cannot  be  thus 
comforted  but  by  the  God  of  all  comfort.  The  ground^  the 
meanSt  the  end,  of  his  consolation,  all  result  from  his  wisdom 
and  power.  The  af^plication  of  the  term  to  man,  shews  him 
to  have  been  in  a  state  of  ^joeakness  and  misery.  If  he  were 
r»ot  'wretched^  the  administration  of  comfort  would  ht  too  su- 
perfluous an  act  to  require  so  many  circumstances  of  detail, 
which  the  Scriptures  lay  down  concerning  it.  If  he  were  not 
^aeak,,  and  incapable  of  being  supported  by  created  aid;  the 
office  of  a  ^/t)/;z<' Comforter  would  be  entirely  useless.  But, 
being  hoih  feeble  and  undone,  the  sound  of  an  almighty  Para- 


COMFORTER.  105 

cl'ete^  an  everlasting-  Comfcrter,  an  omniscient  Advocate^  rings 
with  unutterable  delight  in  the  awakened  ear.  The  heart, 
when  made  alive  to  God  and  renewed,  feels  the  need  of  this 
•office;  nor  is  the  promise  of  this  gracious  aid  any  longer  an 
idle  tale,  an  enthusiastic  dream,  or  atbes-t  a  scriptural  somc- 
tbing^  with  which  people  now-a-days  have  nothing  to  do;  but 
glcd  tidiiigs,  indeed,  tidings  of  great  joy,  an  assurance  of  joy 
unspeakable  and  full  ofglcry.  Let  infidels,  in  fond  conceit  of 
themselves,  affe^  tcf  frown  ;  and  the  profane,  in  equal  ignor- 
ance of  their  own  hearts,  attempt  to  despise  ;  the  convinced 
sinner  feels  the  worth  of  God's  promise,  and  is  neither  to  be 
laughed  out  of  his  spiritual  sense  by  the  bufToon,  nor  by  the  • 
.sophister  to  be  tricked  out  of  his  hope.  He  knows  that  their 
tone,  if  not  their  hearts,  will  hereafter  be  changed,  according 
to  that  striking  passage  in  Ads  v.  94,  &c.  and  his  worst  wish, 
for  the  worst  of  them  all,  is,  that  both  heart  and  tone,  for 
their  author's  sake,  may  be  duly  changed  before  that  hereaf- 
ter shall  come.  'Tis  one  thing,  liowever,  to  laugb  in  the  gai- 
ty  and  health  of  life  ;  and  quite  another  to  rejoice  in  death 
itself,  and  in  the  nearly  approaching  views  of  a  solemn  eter- 
nity. 

As  Jebcvab  is  the  author  of  all  true  consolation,  so  is  eacn 
person  in  him.  Hence  the  r^/i^cT  is  styled,  the  Father  oj 
mercies,  and  the  God  of  all  comfort,  i  Cor.  i.  3.  Hence  Christ  is 
called  the  Paraclete,  Advocate,  or  Comforter,  i  John  11.  i-/^« 
nubom  there  is  consolation,  Phil.  ii.  I.  and  who,  with  the  ra- 
ther, comforts  his  people's  hearts,  and  givesj^bem  everlasting 
consolation  and  good  hope  thrcugh  grace,  2  Thess.  11.  ^^'  J?* 
Hence  also  the  Spirit  is  the  Comforter,  or  Advocate  ;  and  his 
people  are  privileged  to  w^/Z-  in  the  comfort  if  the  Holy  Gvost^ 
A<^s  ix.  31.  It  would  be  bevcnd  the  natural  bound  we  per- 
ceive fixed  to  all  inferior  beings,  if  creatures  were  to  give  the 
consolation,  the  everlasting  consolation,  which  Christ  and  the 
Spirit  are  said  to  give  :  It  would  be  inverting  the  orier  of  all 
things,  if  these y  were  they  created  beings,  should  attempt 
those  eternal  mercies,  and  spiritual  creations,  which  are  pro- 
mised in  the  word  to  the  people  of  God.  In  that  Cuse,  it 
would  be  confounding  subordinate  v/ith  pracrdinate,  and 
creature  with  Creator,  beyond  the  apprehension  of  faith,  as 
well  as  the  comprehension  of  reason.  The  Scriptures  hold  a 
very  different  languagre.  /Jehovah,  and  none  else:  1  form, 
the  light,  and  create  darkness  ;  I  make  peace,  and  create  ajftc- 
tion:^  I]euovmi  do  all  these  things.  Is?.,  xlv.  7.  When  men 
want  spritual  comfort,  the  Scriptures  speak  of  the  coiisola- 
(ions  of  God,  job  xv.  1 1,  and  say,  th.it  it  is  Jeliovah,  v/ho  must 

*  r*i  AJiicticn,  or  sorro-v,  vrl.ich  are  oppczlts  Xo  peace  ;  as  darhncss 
'is,  to  lijz lit.     The  text  hath  a  double    rntiihesis. 


io6  C  O  M  F  O  R  T  E  R. 

comfort  Zion,  Is.  li.  3.  It  must  be  averred  concerning  the 
creatures,  in  this  view,  v^hat  Job  said  of  his  friends,  Miser- 
able comforters  are  they  all  I  There  is  no  help  in  them.  But, 
looking  to  God  the  Father^  the  redeemed  can  bless  him,  who 
ordained  them  peace  ;  looking  to  God  theoow,  they  can  mag- 
nify him,  as  the  promised  consolation  of  Israel  ;  and  looking 
to  God  the  Holy  Ghosi^  they  can  pray  for  liis  holy  comfort,  as 
from  that  other  great  Comforter  *  which  was  promised  to 
console  and  conduct  them  m  the  way  to  heaven.  They  re- 
ceive this  comfort  from  each  of  the  divine  persons,  by  the  a- 
gency  of  the  third;  and,  from  the  happiest  experience,  can 
say  of  the  'vjhole  essence  or  Jehovah^  that  he  indeed  is  the 
God  of  all  comfort^  and  hath  extended  his  peace  to  their  souls. 
This  Comforter  speaketh  to  the  keart^\  and  he  alone  ;  all  o- 
thers  mav  visit  the  ear  without  effedl,  or  with  no  better  efTedl 
than  music  out  of  season.  Peace  is  tht  fruit  of  the  lips  ;  and 
God  may  bless  the  voice  of  man  in  speaking  about  his  peace  t 
But  man's  voice  is  nothing  but  voice.,  unless  Qrodi  create  peace 
to  accompany  it.  Is.  Ivii.   19. 

This  Holy  Spirit,  and  heavenly  Comforter,  is  to  be  W£V>6  his 
people,  and  to  dv/ell  in  them, — to  be  in  andiy/V^  his  people  in 
all  ao-es — m  one  and  the  same  mo7nent^  in  all  countries — in 
heaven  ab»ve  and  in  earth  beneath  at  once — without  confine- 
msnt ;  without  intennisson^  and  v/ithout  end.  Is  it  possible 
then  to  conceive  any  thing  like  this  of  a  creature  ?  Who  can 
venture  to  assert,  that  1  finite  being  is  equal  to  this  ipomen- 
tous,  this  infinite  task  ?  Is  not  that  to  be  called  folly  or  pre- 
sumption, which  can  dare  to  pronounce,  that  all  the  creatures 
together  can  create  and  supply  such  iufnite  and  everlastiitg 
good  ?---Thc  language  is  strong,  but  not  too  strong  for  the 
truth,  that  Beelzebub  himself,  liar  as  he  is,  hath  not  said  it: 
It  is  a  truth  felt  to  the  very  bottom  of  hell.  The  mightiest 
angel  there  cannot  create  for  himself  a  mom.ent's  enjoyment 
of  peace ^  or  a  moment's  cessation  from  pain.  Though  reluct- 
antly, yet  even  Satan  ov/iied  the  omnipotence  of.  Chriit 
in  the  flesh.  He  hath  owned  too  the  power  of  the  divine 
spirit  in  the  hearts  of  hisr)eople,J  to  the  confusion  of  himself, 
and  all  his  lying  oracles. 

*  Another  Comforter  ;  John  xlv.  16.  Here  is  a  most  obvious 
distinction  of  this  divine  person  from  the  Son — another  personall}'— 
yet  the  seme  essentially  ;  for  he  adds,  I  ivill  not  leave  you  comfort' 
/ess,  I  will  come  a^ain  unto  you.  The  former  text  shews  the  di- 
stinction^ the  latter  the  unitjy  of  the  two  divine  persons,  in  the  di- 
vine essenr.e. 

I  Hos.  ii.  14-.  See  Livelius^s  note  upon  the  passage  in  Leigh's 
Crit.  Sacra,  in  7Txpy.{/.'jCto[jLa,i. 

I  Tertullian,  in  his  apology,  hath  several  remarkable  passages  up- 
on this  subjeSt,  and  makes  an  appeal  to  the  senses  of  the  Roman 


C  O  M  F  O  R  T  E  R.  107 

This  Spirit  brooded,  like  a  dove,  upon  the  face  of  tlie  trou- 
bled deep  ;  and  he  warms,  in  tender  love,  the  far  more  trou- 
bled deep  of  man's  disordered  soul.  This  mystic  Dove  visits 
his  church  (as  Noah's  dove,  his  emblem,  did  the  ark)  with  the 
olive  branch  of  eternal  peace,  prognosticates  an  approaching 
rest  to  the  heaven-condu61ed  vessel,  and  leaves  it  not,  even 
when  in  full  view  of  the  everlasting  hills.  This  holy  Dove,  in 
confirmation  of  his  consolatory  oiFice,  witnessed  visibly  for 
Christ  at  his  baptism,  and  afterwards  spiritually  abode  or  rest- 
ed upon  him^  when  this  emblem  of  his  presense  was  seen  no 
more.  He  took  the  name  and  type,  possibly  to  express  the 
fertility^  meekness^  purity^  and  love  of  his  grace  in  the  redeem- 
ed, the  renewal  of  their  minds  into  tjie  same  pattern  by  his 
almighty  power,  or,  as  his  true  Jorerunner^  the  immediate 
mission  of  the  great  Redeemer.  He  is,  in  every  sense,  the 
spiritual  oil  to  make  the  face  shine  v.dth  the  splendor  of  his 
holiness,  and  the  spiritual  <w/?fe  to  make  glad  the  heart  of  man 
with  his  consolation.  Ps.  civ.  15. 

The  usage  of  the  term  ^vine  v^^as  to  express  the  cj^cct  of  his 
agency  in  the  soul.  The  word  wiiic  is  derived  by  some  from 
the  same  root  Vvith  the  v/ord  dove^  and  is  often  used  in  the 
Scriptures  to  signify  consolation*  Thus  the  wise  man  says  ; 
Give  ii'i7ie  to  them  that  be  of  heavy  hearts^  Prov.  xxxi.  6.  that 
is,  csmfort.  Come^  buy  vjine^  b^c.  ivitbout price.  Is.  Iv.  i.  that 
is,  receive  my  free  consolation.  The  like  may  be  observed  of 
other  passages.  And  here,  though  it  be  a  digression,  it  m^j 
not  be  altogether  wide  of  our  subje(5l  to  remark,  how  it  is, 
that  "joine  is  employed  to  smybolize  this  effect.  Its  natural 
property  is,  undoubtedly,  to  cheer  the  animal  spirits;  and 
hence  it  it  very  fit  to  answer  the  spiritual  idea  of  comfort  ; 
but,  if  we  search  a  little  farther,  v/e  shall  find  a  still  m.orc? 
cogent  reason  why  it  is  used  to  imply  consolation,  and  where- 
fore it  is  employed  by  the  wisdom  of  God  for  this  purpose. 
Christ  instituted  the  sacrament  oi bread ^ndi  nvinr  for  a  memo- 
rial of  himself  :  Do  this  (said  he)  in  remembrance  cfme.  We 
are  at  no  loss  to  knov/,  'what  tjie  bread  means  ;  for  he  lias  told 
us,  that  it  signified  himself^  and  that  they,  who  partake  of  this 
bread,  live  by  him*  They  become  the  members  of  his  body. 
The  u'/i^e,  iikev/ise,  he  explains  to  denote  his  blood  ;  and 
commands  all  his  disciples  to  driyik  of  it,  in  order  to  live  for 
ever.  But  under  the  law,  the  positive  command  v/as,  that  the 
blood  of  the  creatures,  sacrificed  or  unsacrificed,  should  by 
no  means  be  tasted  ;  and  yet,  here,  Ch.rist  commands  us  to 
drink  his  own  blood.  The  reason  of  these  commands,  consi- 
beople  then  living  fc:Vc.  ann.  200)  for  the  truth  cfhis  assertionj 
that  "  tV^e  devii  in  the  oracle^  or  in  the  possessed,  %TGuld  confess 
himself  to  ^  the  de'^iil^  when  challeBP-ed^o  declare  it  by  a  Chris- 
tian."  ^Apol,  c.  23. 


ic8  COMFORTER. 

dered  together,  seems  very  striking  and  important.  The  blood 
signifies  the  lifi ;  and  man  cannot  live  bj^  pouring  out  the  lives 
cf  victims  under  X.ht  J  elvish  dispensation,  nor  by  the  lives  of 
rbc  creatures  under  any  dispensation.  Their  lives  could  not 
utone  for  bis  forfeited  life  ;  nor  could  be  live  before  God  by 
all  the  powers  of  created  beings.  In  token  of  this  he  was  not 
to  support  bis  natural  life  by  tbeir  blood  or  life,  under  tha 
law  ;  and  from  hence  he  might  remember,  both  that  God 
alone  was  the  strength  of  his  life,  and  that  a  bigher  life  than 
the  life  of  the  creatures  must  be  poured  out  for  his  atonement 
and  redemption.  Christy  therefore,  commands,  when  he  ap- 
pears in  the  flesh,  that  his  people  should  drink  his  blood,  m 
ciire61  opposition  (as  it  might  seem)  to  the  Jeivisb  (economy  ; 
t.i  order  that  they  might  notice,  that  though  they  could  not 
r.ve  by  the  blood  or  lives  of  the  creatures^  or  by  any  atone- 
laent  or  aclivities  of  inferior  beings  ;  yet  they  could  and 
V  ere  to  live  by  his  blood  or  life  alone,  and,  because  it  was 
the  life  of  his  ^.^c"r/zt//jiature,ybr  ever  and  ever,  ]o\\\-vv\,  54. 
Well,  then,  may  the  emblem  of  consolation,  ^ine^  be  used  for 
tnis  bloody  from  which  originates  the  consolation  of  a  saved 
sinner;  and  Christ  employed  tiie  symbol  for  this  end,  that  it 
might  hold  forth  to  his  people  in  all  ages,  wbat  he  hath  born^ 
for  them,  and  that  from  hence  they  are  to  derive  their  peace. 
His  blcod  was  the  mcaris  of  their  reconciliation  with  God  j 
because  his  life  was  shed  for  their  sins,  and  delivered  their 
lives  from  eternal  destru6lion.  lit  gave  up  a  life  of  infinite 
value  to  save  their  lives  fro;n  an  i;ifiaite  punishment,  due  to 
them  through  sin,  which  is-  infinite  both  as  it  cannot  end  01 
itself,  and  as  it  Is  committed  against  injinite  holiness.  He 
resumed  h\s  life  by  his  own  almighty  pouter,  proving  thereby, 
that  he  had  cancelled  all  the  debt  and  fully  satisfied  eternal 
truth  and  jiisiice.  The  Holy  Spirit,  as  the  first  office  of  his 
consolation,  applies  this  blood  through  faith  to  his  people's 
benefit  ;  and  so  imparts  the  life  of  that  blood  to  their  souls, 
that  it  becomes  tbeir  life  /  a. id  then  it  is,  that,  because  Christ 
liveth^  they  live  also.  No  blood  v/ill  serve  for  this  but  the 
blood  of  the  God-man,  Christ  jesus.  His  people's  blood  would 
not  answer;  for  in  the  attempt  tbeir  life  must  be  lost,  and 
lost  for  ever.  Nor  can  they  for  themselves,  or  others  for 
them,  atone  in  part^  leaving  Christ  to  do  the  rest ;  for  as,  un- 
der the  law,  the  blood  oF  the  sacrifice  was  not  to  be  mixed 
with  leavened  bread ;  so  in  the  law  of  faith,  no  leaven  of 
Tiian,  none  of  his  doings,  can  be  mingled  with  Christ's  aton- 
ir.g  blcod.  Notliing  will  serve  for  this  end,  but  the  true  and _ 
living  brcad^  namely,  his  pure  body  and  divine  righteousness, 
represented  in  the  law  by  the  unleavened  bread.  Hence,  his 
Mood  is  c.dlcd  the  blood  of  the  Ntro  Testament^  in  dire6l  op- 
csiiion  to   all  th.e  works  and  svivices  of  man  under  that  fcld 


COMFORTER.  I09 

tovcnant  in  wl^ich  he  was  born,  and  which  was  declared  (rom 
Mount  Sinai.  And  it  is  termed  also  the  blood  of  the  everlast- 
ing covenant ;  because  it  was  purposed  to  be  sfied  in  the  e- 
verlasting  covenant  of  grace  and  mercy.  The  drinkitig  this 
blood  spiritually,  is  drinking  or  receiving  the  life  of  Christ 
in  the  soul  :  And  the  vi6\ories,  which  the  redeemed  gain  by 
this  blood,  (Rev.  xii.  i  i.)  are  obtained,  under  tliat  iianie,  by 
the  life  of  Christ  and  his  almighty  pov/er  within  them.  The 
application  of  this  blood,  for  both  these  ends,  is  tlie  office  of 
the  Spirit,  He  takes  of  the  things  of  Christy  and  explains, 
and  enforces  them,  in  his  people  ;  and,  in  doing  this,  he  makes 
them  partakers  of  the  divine  nature^  partakers  of  the  life  of 
Christ  ;  so  that  they  no  longer  live  [i.  c.  of  themselves,]  but 
Christ  liveth  in  them  /  and,  through  him,  they  hax'e  commu- 
nion with  the  Father  and  Spirit.  His  humanity  is  their  head, 
in  whom  all  fulness  dvHlls  i  and,  by  him,  they  dwell  in  that 
fulness,  or  (as  St.  John  expresses  it)  they  d-Mcll  in  God^  and 
God  in  them*  i  John.  iv.  16.  Let  us  judge,  then,  if /j/j  flesh 
be  not  m^at  indeed^  and  his  blood  drink  indeed:  Let  us  consi- 
der too,  if  this  blood  is  not  also  become  the  i^inc  of  everlast- 
ing consolation.  It  is  the  nevi  wine  of  the  kingdom,  (Matth. 
xxvi.  zy.)  of  whic,h  Christ  participates  with  his  people  for 
evermore.  And,  when  believers  approach  his  table  below, 
how  ought  they  to  remember,  that  his  body  was  broken,  that 
they  tnight  become  one  body  in  him  ;  and  that  his  blood  was 
poured  out,  tha':  it  might  b;3Come  their  life  and  the  rich  ivine 
of  immortal  comfort,  through  the  Spirit,  to  their  souls  ? 
Without  this  kind  of  remembrance  of  that  dear  Lord,  the  re- 
ception of  the  outward  elements  would  be  no  sacrament  to 
them,  but  rather  an  abomination,  and  undoubtedly  might  be 
ranked  with  the  formal  sacriiicss  of  the  formal  Jews,  which 
God  hath  severely  reprobated.  Is.  i.  11,  &c.  with  Ixvi.  3.  But 
remembering  him  aright,  that  is,  in  faith  ;  then  his  redeem- 
ed find  him  to  be  the  good  and  compassionate  Samaritan  [a 
Samaritan  to  the  world,  despised  and  rejected  of  men^  pour- 
ing into  their  vs^ounded  spirits  the  c>//  of  grace  and  luine  01 
consolation  ;  "  then  [as  the  liturgy  well  expresses  it]  we 
dwell  iii  Christ,  and  Christ  in  us  ;  we  are  one  with  Christ, 
and  Christ  with  us,  to  our  great  and  endless  comfort." 

The  Holy  Spirit  becomes  the  great  Comforter  of  his  people, 
both  by  explaining  these  things  to  their  souls,  and  hy  prepar- 
ing their  souls  for  the  explanation.  What  Christ  said  to  hi.4 
disciples,  maybe  said  to  all  sinners  in  their  natural  sld.te,  con- 
cerning these  consolations  ;  Te  cannot  bear  them  now.  1  he^ 
heart  must  both  ye-t'/  its  iioant  of  and  he  fitted  for  them.  It 
there  be  no  spiritual  sense  of  ivant ;  any  earthly  comforts, 
however  false  and  pernicious,  will  be  more  welcome  than  all 


C  O  M  r  O  Pv  T  E  R. 

'he  {oys  or  heaven  :  And,  if  the  ^oul  be  not  prepared iorXhtse 
divine  re:iiii:ies  ;  they  'vvill  do  the  -soul  no  more  good,  than  a 
sho\ver  of  rain  could  refresh  a  rock.  Now,  Jehovah  only 
can  work  thtzt  pYtpariHtions  of  the  heart  in  inan^  Prov.  xvi.  i. 
He  opily  can  qutcktn  the  dead  in  sin  to  a  life  oi"  righteousness 
m  grace  and  glory.  And  Ke-doeth  all  this  ;  bzcause  and  only 
because,  He  is  jekovah.  But  as  the  HolV  Spirit  is  ex- 
pressly the  agent  of  all  these  wonderful  works  in  the  -s,)irits  of 
the  redeemed;  it  is,  and  x.o  then  must  be,  an  undeniable 
argument  of  his  divinity^  'ivA  consequently  of  his  co-essenti- 
ality with  the  Father  and  the  Son  in  the  onz  Jehovah.  They 
DCiceive,  by  the  word  and  by  their  own  experience,  that  it  is 
He,  wiio  iri7}islaied  th'dm  from  darkness  to  light,  who  chcnged 
-htm  from  a  state  of  sin  and  unbelief  to  a  state  of  grace  and 
luith,  who  turned  the  coarse  of  their  minds  dire6lly  opposite 
to  tTi^  course  of  the  v^-orld,  as  well  as  to  their  own  former 
course  :n  the  v/orld.  Thev  see  the  greatness  of  this  opera- 
tion, in  reducing  the  contrariet)  of  tneir  stubborn  nature  and 
in  this  nen.v  creation  to  a  glorious  life,  and  therefore  acknow- 
ledge him  to  be  Jehovah,  Kvho  orJy  doeth  Hucndcrful  ^^orks. 
He  granted  thern  tins  repentance  to  life  ;  this  change  of  sen- 
timent and  v/ill;  this  d"sire  for  Gtirist,  and  holiness,  and 
heaven:  And  they  find,  that  this  is  wrought  in  them  by  way 
of  ^reparation,  both  for  the  present  cotiSolations  of  grace, 
ana  for  the  future  and  unutterable  joys  of  glory.-^~They 
see  a''s'>  &^ic\\  a  union  of  love,  mercy,  truth,  honor,  jus- 
tice, and  grandeur,  in  all  this  dispensation;  as  carries  out 
thieir  hearts,  at  times,  iiuo  the  profoundest  admiration,  grati- 
tude, and  praise.  O  did  the  men  of  tlie  world  know  some  of 
this  secret  intercourse  with  heaven ;  their  surprize  would  soon 
(.ease,  that  rear  Christians  can  love  their  frequent  retire- 
ments and  solitude,  and  give  up  the  silly  shewy  pleasures, 
which  others  spend  their  very  souls  for,  and  v/ith  so  much 
ardor  covet  and  pursue.  And  did  professors  themselves  en- 
iry  more,  or  seek  toenj.-^y  more,  of  this  distinguished  blessed- 
i?ess.  this  ^'  calm  sunshine  of  the  so->il,  this  heart-felt  joy ;'' 
the  v.'crld  v/culd  not  have  so  much  reason  to  reproach  them 
for  their  too  great  solicitude  upon  those  things,  which  in 
words  at  least  they  aiTeC\  to  despise.  If  the  consc^latioizs  of 
Cod  ''ji-ere  not  small  v/ith  too  many  of  them  ;  so  many  would 
not  find  such  delight  in  huntino^  after  mammon^  in  procuring 
(what  are  impiously  railed)  independent fortun^s.^  or  in  laying 
out  for  fine  houses,  splendid  furniture,  p^^^.pparel,  and  all  the 
wretched  modishness  of  this  dying  wdrld.  Alas!  Alas! 
what  can  the  mere  man  cf  the  earth  do  more?  And  how  much, 
and  hov/  often,  do  these  poor  trifle?  lead  astray  their  souls? 
EfTcOs,  like  these,  render  things  innocent  in  their  nature,' 
ro.\ious  to  those  who  possess  theni.  If  the  things  were  ever 
so  indifferent^  as   indeed  all  cuch   matters    certainly    are  in 


COMFORTER.  m 

thej'nsehes  ;  yet  tliey  cease  to  be  so,  when  once  thefnind  and 
affviclioiis  are  soIicitDUsly  euiployed  about  tliem.  ]do\w  ri;re- 
ly  is  Christ  the  topic  in  cur  clcgaat  apartmento  and  genteel 
soj^ieties  !  How  rude  ::nd  unr.eusonablw^  would  an)-  conversa- 
tion there  be  thought,  which  referred  to  the  greatest  in- 
terests of  the  soul,  or  conveved  the  soleran  ideas  of 
an  approaching  eternity  I  Thus  modern  polu.encsa  and 
Christian  discourse  are  held  iiicompatible.  The  language 
of  the  times  is  become  so  excessively  reuned,  that  me 
name  of  Jesus  (except  by  way  of  bluspnerny)  appears 
almost  a  mere  barbaris.n,  fit  only  for  \.\\i  usi  of  rustics 
or  the  Canaille ;  at  least,  not  to  be  mentioned,  biit  ia 
the  old  forms  of  a  cliurch,  and  there  to  remain,  till  Lhe  )7eo- 
ple  resuiiie  their  seats  and  the  forms  again.  h\  j»  .>ijie  more 
learned  and  (one  would  expect)  more  solid  assenu^lies  ;  wli.^.t 
a  disgusting  fool  would  a  man  be  now  Scitdown  for,  who  shou.d 
dare  to  enter  upon  the  matters  of  j-.i/i;c;//;;z  / 'though  they  are 
at  once  undeniably  the  'iolsdom  of  God^  and  God's  ^c■<.■u'^.  pur- 
pose in  the  original  being  of  wvAwt  l\  discourse  upon  weeds 
or  butterflies  shall  be  reckoned  a  tnousand  times  more  intelli- 
gent and  wise.-— tTo  /j/jz/upon  thise  things,  is  encugli  to  shev/ 
the  bent  and  stream  of  the  worid,  and  tlie  dire;"!:  opposition 
it  makes,  not  at  this  time,  or  the  other  time  only,  but  uni- 
fqrmly  and  at  all  times,  to  God  and  hisgcspel.  To  the  Chris- 
tian this  should  be  a  leelure  ;  how  lightly  all  th^^se  circum- 
stances, which  last  but  for  a  moment,  ought  to  sit  upon  his 
mind  ;  and  with  hov/  much  mercy  it  is,  that  God,  for  the  most 
part^  keeps  lying  vanities  out  of  his  people's  hands.  The  so- 
ciety of  Christ  in  a  cottage  is  inHniteiy  a  greener  estate,  than 
palaces  and  kingdoms,  without  any  other  heart  to  enjcy  tliem 
than  the  evil  heart  of  ivnbelitf.'^  He,  that  hath  Christ,  ''  hath 
him,  who  hath  all  things.*'  And  when  Christians  can  make 
a  true  estimate  of  objetts,  and  have  learned  to  dl3ti;iguish  aj,- 
pearances  from  trutb^  and  gold  from  tinsel,  as  sooner  or  later 
they  undoubtedly  v/ill ;  they  wlii  grow  gradually  into  :.lie 
psalmist's  frame,  who  accounted,  that  a  link  that  a  righteous 
man  batb^  is  better  than  the  riches  of  many  is^iclied.,  Ps.  xxxvii. 
1 6.  They  will  find  that  these  wicked  seer,i  to  enjoy,  but  dtt 
not ;  wiiile  the   believer,  in  the  sense   ot  God's    favour  and 


*  An  Heathen  could  sing : 

mz  siha,  camisque 

Tutus  ab  insidiis  tenui  solabitur  ervj. 


lioR.rj.'.  l.ii. 


And  so  a  moral  poet  of  our  cv:t\  : 

"  Then,  pilgrim,  turn,  tliy  cares  fore£;o  ; 

"  All  earin-born  cares  are  wrong; : 
'-  Man  wants  bni  little  hi:re  beio-.v, 

''  Nor  wants  that  hi;Ic  lo-ig-"  f'ji.Dz-iiT-£. 


112  C  0  M  F  O  R  T  E  R. 

presence, Tw/oy J  indeed^  but  witliout  seeming.  He  may  make 
but  iutle  or  no  appearance  in  the  outside  ;  yet,  like  the  king's 
daughter^  he  is  all  glorious  iintbin. 

One   great  ofHce  of  this  hvoly  Comforter  or  Advocate, 
^vhom  \vc  are  treating  of,  should  never  be  from   the  memory 
of  his  people.     He  doth  not  call  them  to  a  set  of  tiotions  and 
opinions  only  j   for,  with  respe6>  to  these  as  mere  subtle  dis- 
quisitions, perhaps  the  devil  is    as  orthodox  as  any  one  ;  but 
he  works  in  them  a  change  of  heart  and  ncxvntss  of  life.  This 
is  tlie  true  purpose  of  all  his  agency,  to  make  and  to  keep  his 
people  in  a  nearer  and  nearer  likeness  to  their  Redeemer. — 
Their  tenets,  therefore,  or  rather  the  do6lrines  of  the  gospel, 
known  as  they  ought   to   be  known,  are  things   rather  than 
ivords,  and  exist  in  facts  more  than  in  speculations.    A  carnal 
man  may  know  the  fon7t  of  the  gospel ;  but  the  true  believer 
only  knows  the  matter  of  it.     To  the  one,  divine  truth  is  but 
?L  picture,  though  possibly  a  very  fine  one,  curiously  gilt  and 
adorned,  ptrliaps,  by  man's  art,   to  be  gazed  at ;  but  to  the 
oither  it  is  substance^  ihafoodhy  which  he  lives, not  lifted  up 
for  a  shew,  but  taken  inwardly  for  the  very  sustenance  of  his 
life.     A  man,  with  a  very  line  painting  of  a  feast,  may  v/ant 
a  dinner.    And  those  professors,  who  can  speak  or  write  per- 
haps very  elegantly  upon  the  gospel,    and  paint  its   glorious 
beauties  in  splendid  colours,  while   they  have  never  tasted 
and  enjoyed  its  mercies,  will,  in  the  hour  of  trial,  discover 
their  own   leanness;  and  the  hour  of  trial   may  be  posssibly 
sent  for  that  Vw-ry  purpose.     But  he,  who  has  true  and  so- 
lid provision  in  the  house,  doth  not  shew  it  about  the  apart- 
ments for  ornament,  but  brings  it  forth  for  use  in  due  season. 
In  like  manner,  the  real  Chiistian  aims  not  to  make  a  parade 
of  his  profession,  but  lives  within  himself  upon  that  bounty, 
which  his  gracious  Lord  constantly  supplies  to  him.     He  is 
renewed  in  the  spirit  of  bis  mijtd^  and  is  become,  in   a  mea- 
sure, of  the  same  mind  with  his  divine  Renewer.     They  ivalk 
together^  because   they   are   agreed:   And   all  the  felicity    of 
God's  people,  like   Enocb^s^  consists  in  walking  thus  to   the 

,end 

To  the  end  they  do  walk  in  safety;  and  all  the  w^j  thi- 
ther  is  truly  the  way  of  peace — not  perhaps  the  peace  of 
this  world,  but  that  superior  peace,  which  the  worli  can  nei- 
ther give  nor  take  from  them.  This  blessed  Comforter  is  the 
immediate  ciuise  and  preserver  of  it  all  through  Christ  Jesus. 
In  the  day  oi  affliction',  this  ever-present  help  stands  by  with 
Ills  necessary  consolations,  and  so  tempers  every  affli61ion 
■with  them,  as  to  prodnce,  out  of  all,  the  most  blessed  and  per- 
petual good.  Where  Christ  and  his  Spirit  are,  sorrow  can  do 
no  harm,  nay,  cannot  even  subsist  long  as  sorrow,  but  is  turn- 
ed into  joy.     Nor  is    the  occasion,  which  works  the  sorrow 


C  O  M  F  O  R  T  K  R.  n. 

permitted  to  coTne  at  all,  but  for  soivic  purgation  of  evil,  or 
some  preparation  to  gccd.  Flesh  and  l.lood  revolt  ;  and, 
therefore,  it  is  commonly  sent  to  subdue  llesh  and  blood, 
which,  in  believers,  as  well  as  in  ethers,  are  too  apt  to  en- 
tertain covfidence  and  constqucvice^  and  nuist  for  their  real 
welfare  be  brought  down  and  kept  down.  Flesh  and  blood  sec 
not  the  reason,  \w\.j'ecL  the  pang  :  And  the  pang  they  should 
feel  ;  or  the  crucifixion,  which  the  apostle  sjjeaks  of  i  Gal.  v. 
24.)  as  the  necessai)'  constquence  of  iheir  union  with  Christ, 
would  never  appear,  would  never  be  known.  This  hoK-  Com- 
forter bestows  and  increases,  for  a  clear  view  of  this  case, 
his  grace  of  faith  ;  and  faith,  enliglitened  by  his  ttrition,  reads 
his  word^  and  there  finds  tliC  secret  ol  the  whole.  "  He  first 
enables  liis  affiiiSled  children  to  believe  what  he  has  said  of 
his  love  in  tifRi6iing  then.,  ar;d  then  to  wait  for  the  experi- 
ence of  his  love  under  their  afiii61ions.  This  waiting  cuictlv, 
without  giving  way  to  sense,  or  unbelief,  is  patiey.cc.  Faith  is 
tried,  and  stands  the  trial.  Tribulation  conies  ;  faith  is  ex- 
ercised with  it,  but  holds  fast  its  confidence  in  the  word  of 
God,  and  thereby  has  lull  proof  oF  the  faithfulness  of  God. 
This  worketh  patience — a  quiet  submission  to  tlie  divine 
will — and  an  holy  subje6ion  to  the  divine  rod.  The  flesh 
inurmers  ;  self-will  repines  ;  self-indulgence  rebels  :  But 
faith  looks  up  for  the  present  strength,  an.d  by  it  conquers 
them.  It  stops  their  mouths  with  a  hush — Be  still  and  know 
that  He  is  God — He  is  my  sovereign  and  my  father.  This  af- 
fli6lion  indeed  is  not  for  the  present  joyous,  but  rather  grie- 
vous ;  nevertheless  it  comes  from  his  love — Love  guides  his 
hand — Love  will  bring  good  out  of  it.  O  that  aH  within  me 
may  submit  to  his  will,  and  bless  his  holy  name  !"  f 

In  the  day  of  uproar  and  confusion^  when  the  earth  seems 
under  the  immediate  agitation  of  hell,  this  gracious  Cojnfort- 
er  keeps  those  in  perfect  peace^  'Lvbose  minds  are  stayed  upon 
him.  Gome  what  may,  they  are  upon  the  mountain  of  the 
Lord\  house  ;  where  they  see  his  presence,  learn  submission 
to  his  wall,  and  look  down  with  calinnes  upon  the  tumults 
beneath  ;  which,  however  they  may  shipwreck  tliose  who 
mix  in  them,  cannot  reach  up  to  their  souls.  The  Christian 
can  pity  the  misery  of  such  persons,  as  conflid  with  raging 
passions,  only  by  passions  equally  raging  ;  and,  if  the  storm 
thresitcn  himself,  he  commits  all  to  Him,  who  in  one  moment 
can  say.  Peace,  be  still  I  and  at  whose  command,  in  the  next 
moment,  there  shall  be  a  great  calm.  The  winds  and  the 
waves  cannot  but  obey  him,  who  made  tliem  ;  and  so  also  the 
restrained  fierceness  of  man,  aiming  however  at  no  such  e- 
vent,  sooner  or  later  shall  turn  to  bis  praise. 

t  See  the  very  excellent  and  experimental  treatise  of  iJie  ivalk  of 
faith^  by  the  Rev,  Mr.  Romains.  Vol.  ii.  p.  92.      , 


114  C  O  M  F  O  R  T  E  R. 

In  the  day  oi  persecution^  Oo^  ever  did,  and  ever  will  sup- 
port his  people  with  his  coinjoriing^  or  rather  with  iiis  tri-' 
^imphunt  grace.  Tl»is  Comforter  has  shewn  to  the  strong  of 
the  world,  that  they  are  but  a?  t0'j3  with  him,  and  that  he  can 
make  the  weakest  oi*  the  weak  more  than  a  match  ior  all  ilieir 
strength,  'i  hese  hist  have  oiten  smiled  at  the  persecutor's  rage; 
and  dared  the  coarsest  efforts  of  his  power.  They  have  disco- 
vered tli^ir  vidorious  superiority,  by  pitying  and  praying  for 
the  poor  wonr.s,  to  whose  felly  and  madness  for  a  while  they 
fiave  been  exposed.  They  knev/  them  to  be  but  the  slaves 
and  tools  of  that  ijifernal  tyrant,  who  would  v/rcak  upon  them 
for  this  very  thing,  the  permitted  wrath  of  the  Almighty. 
Acis  vii.  6c.  Let  any  man  read  Lactantius^ s  account  of  the 
deaths  of  the  ancient  persecutors  ;  and  then  let  him  consider, 
whether  they  are  notequally  the  obje6i.s  of  pity  and  contempt. 
Though,  through  the  divine  providence,  the  most  bitter  ad- 
versaries to  the  truth  of  God  cannot,  at  this  time,  proceed  to 
these  enormities  ;  yet  it  is  worth  remembering,  ho vv ever, 
that,  in  ihQ  purest  ages  of  the  church,  these  furies  were  per- 
mitted to  range  upon  the  earth,  and  carry  their  rage  to  lengths, 
v;hich  even  common  humanity  must  shudder  to  write.  Ail 
humanity  was  then  ovei borne,  or  turned  into  diabolic  barba- 
rity, whenever  the  religion  oi  Jesus  was  concerned  ;  Aud  it 
was  often  observed,  that  persons,  who  were  the  most  hu» 
mane,  civil,  and  polite  upon  all  other  occasions,  laid  aside 
rheir  usual  chara6ler  and  put  off  that  agreeable  varnish,  when 
the  truths  or  cause  of  God  became  the  subje6l  of  ccnsidera^ 
tion.  An  instant  proof  hath  then  been  given,  that  however  e- 
(lucation  may  induce  liabits,  which  shall  make  men  exceed- 
jngly  accomplished  in  the  eyes  of  the  world  and  for  worldly 
purposes  ;  no  education  and  no  habit  can  root  out  the  enmity 
of  the  carnal  mind  against  God.  It  will  discover  itself,  by 
come  means  or  other,  to  be  perfeClly  the  same,  v/hether  it 
exist  in  a  Roman  emperor  or  the  reviling  thief  upon  a  cross, 
in  the  h/ighcst  or  the  lowest,  in  the  proudest  or  the  meanest, 
of  mankind.  According  to  their  capacity  or  opportunity, 
they  will  always  find  pleas  to  exercise  this  dislike.  Tne  po- 
litician brings  his  reasons  of  state  ;  the  religionist,  his  rea- 
sons of  superstition  ;  and  the  tyrant,  his  strong  reasons  of 
pov/ier.  It  was  the  s.'.me  of  old.  ^'-  Si  Tiber  is  (said  Tertidlian) 
a-^ccrdit  in  r.ioniia  si  Nilus  non  ascendit  in  nvco.,  si  caelum^ 
stctit^  si  terra  niovit^  sifamcs^  si  lues,  statim — rCnRisTi  anos  ad 
Leones.*  If  the  Tiber  overflow,  if  the  Nile  do  not  flow  e- 
Tiougli,  if  tjie  skies  are  bound  from  rain,  if  the  earth  be  loosed 
and  quake,  if  famine,  or  pestilence,  arise  ;  the  cry  immedi- 
ately \z — A'-j^ay  ivith  the  Christians  to  the  lions-'' 

*  Adi\  Gcr.tcs, 


G  O  IvI  F  O  R  T  £  R.  115 

In  the  day  <y{ poverty  and  keen  distress,  this  Comforter  'ne- 
conies  the  nearest  and  the  doatest  friend,  lie  smooths  i!:e 
brow  of  care,  and  sooths  the  heart  of  sorrow.  He  tcachcc 
the  soul  of  the  Christian,  that  poverty  is  but  a  relative  term, 
aiui  that,  out  of  (^od,  or  without  him,  there  is  no  body  rici). 
All  men  live  by  divine  bounty,  and  therefore  have  noti/ni;-- 
properly  their  own.  Whatever  God  has  lent  thern,  arose  froi:» 
his  own  v/ill:  And  if  he  set  the  rich  man  in  a  palace,  wnA 
Ladariis  among  the  dogs  upon  a  dunghill  ;  it  only  proves,  that 
the  Lord  SUV/  a  reason  for  it,  v/hich  men  perhaps  do  not  set. 
Thj  gr^at  things  (as  they  are  called)  of  this  world,  are  s>> 
iightly  esteemed  by  God,  that  ive  often  throws  them  av;av  up- 
ci;  the  vilest  of  mankind,  as  people  throw  trash  upon  a  dun^;- 
hiil.  If  Christians  are  too  fond  of  this  trash  ;  it  may  be  reea- 
iul  for  their  souls,  that  they  should  be  kept  from  waliov/in? 
among  the  dung,  and  that  their  way  be  hedged  up  v/ith 
thorns.  The  riches  of  tjjis  world  are  not  riches  in  God's 
sight  ;  nor  even  in  the  sight  of  mere  reason,  as  it  may  be 
proved  in  the  examples  of  heathen  philosophers  v/ho  dtspis- 
ed  them  ;  and  certainly  they  ought  not  to  be  so  in  the  eyes 
of  God's  children.  What  a  poor  creature,  at  the  best,  is  a 
rich  man  without  grace  ?  Nay,  how  poor  have  people  of  that 
stamp  thought  themselves  1  We  may  take  their  own  evi- 
deace  and  confession  in  this  matter:  We  may  learn  this 
truth  by  their  ovv^n  example.  Have  we  never  heard  of  some 
very  opulent  persons,  so  loaded  v/ith  misery  as  well  as  with 
vv'ealth,  that  they  could  not  support  the  torm.ent  of  their  own 
minds,  and  therefore, in  the  anguishof  despair,  have  attempted 
to  get  rid  at  once  of  their  wretchedness  ?ind  being?  Instances 
of  this  kind  have  occurred  in  the  history  of  mankind,  and  are 
so  many  blazing  beacons  to  t;he  Christ.ian,warning  Iiim  against 
the  legions  of  devouring  caVes,  v/hich  in  a  manner  swallow 
up  the  world  about  liim.  On  the  other  hand,  let  a  man  look 
to  God's  rich  promises  \  and  there  he  will  find  both  support 
and  supply^ — *'  What!  to  ?;t/i^<i  promises  T'  may  one  as!:. — 
Yes,  friend,  for  the  trial  of  \\\y  faith :  And  if  fp.ou  hact.not 
faith  to  rely  on  thece  naked  promises,  then  (v/liatrver  tho-i 
hast  beside)  thou  £irt  poor  Indeed.  Tiiou  wouldst  not  call 
them  naksd^  hov.'ever,  if  thou  didst  but  see,  that  th.ey  are 
richly  clothed  v/ith  all  the  povv'er,  faithfuliiess,  \owti^  rind  in- 
finitude of  Gcdo 

In  the  day  oi  sickness^  this  Cordforter  is  at  hand  to  adininis- 
ter  his  medicines  to  the  soul.  lie  compounds  them  accord- 
ing to  the  word,  which  is  the  publication  of  his  skill,  and  ap- 
plies them  wisely  to  the  case  and  conditipu  of  his  people. 
He  is  almighty  to  command,  to  carry  on,  and  to  ensure  the 
efife^l.  Kis  people  at  such  seasons  more  sencibly  feel  their 
need  of  his  aid,  and  look  mord  eagerly  after  his  power:  And 


ii6  C  O  ?vl  F  O  R  T  E  R. 

he  stands  by  them  when  they  do  net  see,  and  comes  into  them 
when  it  is  right  they  should  feel  the  force  of  his  supporting, 
love.  He  makes  all  their  bed  in  their  sickness,  SLud  never 
leaves  their  6cd  nor  the}?ty  however  it  may  seem,  so  much  as 
for  a  moment. 

In  the  day  and  hour  of  deaths  this  God  is  the  believer's 
God,  his  friend,  and  infallible  guide.  Having  condu6led  hhn 
to  the  last  moment  by  his  grace,  it  would  not  be  for  his  glory 
to  leave  him  then.  And  he  doth  not.  He  hath  made  many 
a  once  feeble  heart*  to  triumph,  0  death,  ivhere  is  thy  sting  1 
O  grave, 'vohere  is  ihy  victory!  But  whether  the  nature  of 
t  iieir  disease  allovv  ib.'is  noi)le  exclamation  or  not,  all  the  peo- 
ple of  God  are  conr^nitrors  over  death,  and  more  than  conquer- 
ors^ through  him  that  loved  them.  They  are  enabled  to  con- 
quer death;  and  then  death  himself  performs  the  office  of  a 
friend. — If  the  vain  and  the. ungodly  knew  this  life  in  death, 
or  could  see  it ;  instead  of  a  foolish  laugh  or  senseless  j':er, 
they  would  cry  out  as  one  of  themselves  did  of  old,  Let  me  die 
the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  let  my  latter  end  be  like  his  ! 
Numb.  :Kxiii.  lo. 

In  the  everlasting  day  of  hsaven,  this  glorious  Comforter 
vvill  comfort  his  people  with  joys  beyond  measure  or  end.  All 
his-  consolations  below  are  but  as  a  spark  to  that  eternal  blaze 
of  rapture,  which  shall  glow  through  their  spirits  above. — 
But  here  imagination  v/ill  fail,  and  we  must  bfj  content  with 
that  summary  description  which  the  Scriptures  aiford  us  that 
this  everlasting  state  is  an  exceedingly  exceeding  and  eternal 
i:ei^'ht  cf  glory  ;  and  that  eye  hath  not  seen,  ear  beard,  nor 
bath  it  entered  into  the  heart  of  man  to  conceive, '{i^h at  God 
lath  preparedfor  them  that  love  him. 

And  now,  dear  Christian,  what  are  thy  thoughts  concern- 
in;^  such  a  Comforter  2.S  this? concerning  one   who  hath 

(lone  so  nunch  for  thee,  is  doing  so  much  in  thee,  and  will  con- 
tinue to  do  so  much  both  for  thee  and  in  thee  to  all  eternity? 

*  If  Lucretius  had  seen  a  Chrisiian,  in  dying  triumphant  over 
(Iculh.  he  would  have  omitted,if  not  some  other  arguments  he  uses 
against  the  irnmonality  of  the  soul,  certainly  this : 

'^todsi  imniorialiv  nostra  foret  mens: 

Non  jam  se  moricns  dlssolvi  conqucreretur  : 

Sid  magis  ireforas,  vcstanqiie  rdinqiicrc,  ui  anguis, 

Gaudcrct, prae'.or.ga  scncx  ant  cornuc  cervus. 

Lib.  iii.  1.  611. 
i.  e.  "  If  our  mind  were  immortal ;  in  the  article  of  death,  it  would 
not  murmur  to  be  dissolved,  but  rejoice  rather  to  go  forth  from  the 
hcdy,  and  leave  it,  as  a  snake  doth  its  skin,  or  an  aged  stag  doth 
liis  wei!;hty  horns. "--Blessed  be  God,  many  of  his  redeemed  have 
rejoiced  to  quit  their  bodies,  ar.d  have  left  them  with  a  hope  full  of 
f^-lory  and  immcrtidity.. 


C  O  M  F  O  R  T  £  R.  117 

Ia  he  not  indeed  God  the  Comforter,  fall  of  royalty  to  com- 
mand  comfort,  full  of  deity  to  ensure  it  I  Cunst  thou  think  that 
an  angel,  or  ten  thousand  iingels,  or  all  the  angels  and 
all  the  creatures,  which  ever  knew  existence,  are  or  can  be 
equal  to  bestow  such  floods  of  comfort,  such  an  infinite  o» 
cean  of  everlasting  joy,  which  will  replenish  thy  soul,  and 
the  souls  of  all  the  blest,  in  glory  ? — Thou  dost  not,  cjuLt  not 
think  so.  T'bcy  only,  who  never  tasted  his  holy  comfort  and 
are  strangers  to  its  nature,  can  think  thus  madly  and  blas- 
phemously of  this  blessing  and  its  author.  But  thou  hast  felt 
its  divine  force  in  thy  soul  ;  and,  when  thy  faith  is  lively, 
thou  continuest  to  feel  it.  O  look  to  this  God  of  all  comfort 
to  increase  it  within  thee,  in  such  manner  and  degree,  as  may 
be  expedient  for  thy  good  and  his  own  glory!  If  there  were 
no  sin  or  corruption  within  thee  to  be  mortified  and  subdued, 
thy  heart  would  be  a  little  heaven.  If  thy  faith  w<jr<r  but  as 
fixed,  as  thy  condition  is  secure  ;  thou  wouldst  be  but  little 
short  in  joy  of  a  saint  in  light.  Thou  art  not  straitened  in 
Christy  nor  in  this  Comforter  from  Christ:  All  the  confine- 
ment is  from  thyself  Thy  own  tempers  and  unbelief  are  the 
only  bars  to  the  richest  consolation  of  grace  on  this  side  of 
eternity.  V/hen,  therefore,  thou  complainest  of  darkness, 
dullness,  and  despair  ;  search  (and  pray  to  the  great  Searcher 
of  hearts  that  thou  mayest  search  duly)  if  thou  be  not  in 
some  dark  path,  out  of  the  narrow  w^ay  wliich  leadcth  to  life, 
and  if  some  sinful  pra6lice,  or  some  sinful  opinion  be  not  in- 
dulged in  thy  soul.  Christ  will  notdv/ell  in  his  temple,  as  in. 
a  den  of  thieves  ;  but  will  either  scourge  them  out  by  some 
sharp  trials,  or  leave  thee  for  a  while  to  the  natural  deadness 
of  thy  heart,  without  one  ray  of  his  presence.  Bad  pradlices 
and  evil  do6irines  are  an  abomination  to  the  Lord.  On  the 
other  hand,  if  this  Comforter  fiil  thy  spirit  with  his  pure  con- 
solations; pray  to  him  earnestly,  that  pride  may  be  hidden 
from  thee,  and  that  carelessness  or  drowsiness  do  not  over- 
take thee  in  the  gracious  sunshine,  nor  entice  thee  to  lie 
down  and  sleep.  But  ^jjatcb  and  be  sober ^  be  circumspedl  and 
serious  ;  for  thou  art  here  in  the  enemy's  country,  and  always 
upon  polluted  ground.  Pray,  that  the  manifestations  of  al- 
mighty love  may  be  so  many  attracllons  to  thy  soul,  and  the 
means'^  of  putting  spirit  and  life  into  tliy  afTeQions,  and  duties. 
Remember,  that  the  most,  thou  canst  enjoy  here,  is  but  a 
slight  foretaste,  a  little  drop  of  that  infinite  ocean  of  pure 
joy,  which  thou  art  to  inherit  in  Christ.  This  should  caijse 
thee  to  thirst  for  more,  and  to  aspire  after  greater  attain-^ 
ments.  Finally,  what  a  weight,  v/hat  an  eternal  weight,  of 
transporting  bliss  is  before  thee,  prepared  for  thee,  secured 
to  thee,  by  omnipotent  power,  and  endless  grace  ! — Reader, 


ii8  S  P  I  Pw  I  T     or     L  I  F  E. 

hast  thou  ?z?  longlni^  for  this  !  Is  thy  heart,  can  thy  heart,  be 
all  dead,  and  dull,  and  damp,  to  such  iinmeasarable  glories! 
Wbat !  iiot  a  ray  oF  hope,  not  a  thrill  of  joy,  at  all  this  un- 
merited mercy!  At  all  this  mercy,  meritedjQ///);  and  only  by 
Jesus  for  thee  ! — Ic  is  enough  to  make  the  sLane  in  thy  heart 
to  cry  out.  The  heart  must  indeed  be  the  heart  of  stone^  if 
it  f-el  n>>  euntun  b,sre  1  Th^i  bean  of  Jlcsb^  renewed  by  the 
IJjh  Si)h''n.  will  triu.npli  in  ihe  glorious  expe(5lation,  and  be 
lookt'i^  out,  beyond  all  perishing  shadows,  for  the  blessed 
bopc^  and  the  glorious  appearing  of  the  great  God  and  our 
Scniour  Jesus  Chris i:  And,  blessed  be  this  great  God  and 
oui  Saviour,   it  shall  not  look  in  vain. 

My  soul  in  fervent  longing  waits 

(ii.:c:i  true  believer  cries) 
Fjt  (iod  to  end  my  earthly  straits, 

And  bear  me   to  the  skies. 

O  when  sliull  this  poor   scene  depart^ 

And  heaven  itself  appear! 
God  hath  so  widened  all  my  heart,  5 

It  can't  be  filled  here.  ; 


SPIRIT    OF    LIFE. 

ALL  life  is  notion,  though  all  motion  be  not  life.  What- 
ever lives,  i\€\s  ;  but  what  is  a6led  on,  being  only  pas- 
sive po^ver  at  the  utmost,  and  moving  because  it  is  moved> 
cannot  be  said  to  live.  The  true  definition  of ///>,  therefore^ 
is — a  principle  of  power  to  a6l  or  move,  inherent  or  implant- 
ed in  a  distincl  substance  or  being.  A  being,  thus  possessed^ 
is  said  to  livc^  because  it  can  a6l  from  within  itself.  If  wc 
spieak  of  a  being,  who  lives  inherently  or  of  himself ,-  we  must 
say,  that  He  is  God^  and  that  there  is  no  other,  who  can  live 
in  this  self-existent  mode,  and  perform  motions  without  the 
assistance  of  another.  If  we  speak  of  a  being,  who  lives 
derivatively  or  dy  another  ;  we  may  afHrm,  that  he  is  a  crea- 
ture^ and  that  the  life  in  him,  though  distincfl  from  and  per- 
haps independent  of  all  other  beings  who  live  derivatively 
like  himself,  is  not  without  God,  though  its  motion  be  con- 
trary to  him.  Evil  spirits  subsist  by  the  first  life,  which  is 
God,  though  they  ail  in  opposition  to  his  holiness.  When, 
therefore,  v/c  define  life  in  a  creature,  we  mean,  that  this  life 


S  P  I  R  I  T     o  F     LIFE.  119 

exists  independently  only  of  all  other  creatures,  but  not  of 
Gi^a  its  Creator,  /)y  ivbom  those  creatures  live^  even  when 
tliey  sin  or  ael  against  Him.  If,  for  instance,  a  creature 
breathe  ;  its  power  to  perform  tliat  a(5\ion  is  bevor.d  the  aid 
of  all  otlier  creatures,  and  arises  independently  of  them.  And 
so  it  may  be  said  concerning  tlie  rest  of  its  functions,  which 
discover  or  exercise  the  principle  of  animal  li^e. 

There  is  also  a  life,  which  consists  in  motion,  but  which 
is  not  obvious  to  the  animal  serisc.  The  ii-e  of  man's  immcv- 
tal  and  immaterial  part  acts  and  rp.oves,  not  fr^m  the  vibrato- 
ry motions  of  matter,  but  by  a  principle  to  which  matter  has 
no  relation,  and  to  v/hich  matter  itself,  being  passive  and 
inert,  is  and  must  be  subservient.  The  collision  of  two 
stones  might  as  soon  inspire  them  with  thought,  as  the  vibia- 
tion  of  the  nerves,  being  mere  material  motion,  could  consti- 
tute the  intelle^l  of  man,  which,  in  a  thousand  cases,  Iras  and 
can  have  no  sort  of  relation  to  the  motion  of  matter.  Those, 
who  propagate  this  notion,  arc  only  supporting  the  cause  of 
materialism  01  pantheism  ;  for,  v/hcn  once  a  rule  is  establish- 
ed, that  matter  produces  thought  ;  it  is  no  very  distant  nor 
difficult  transition  to  urge,  that  matter  itself,  as  the  author 
of  thought,  must  therefore  be  (^od,  and  consequently  so  much 
the  source  of  all  inteileclion,  that  there  can  be  no  ideas  with- 
out it.  Hence  thought  is  nothing  hut  matter  acling  upon  it- 
self, and  of  consequence  the  universal  harmony  andarrange- 
irient  of  things  appears  a  most  luclvv  ard  fortuitous  jumble  of 
matter  in  atoms  1  Here  athcisin  comes  \\\  with  a  full  tide,  and 
offers  to  sweep  away  religion,  revelation,  and  even  morality 
i-tself,  into  the  ocean  of  anarchy  and  universal  infidelity. 
Those  pretended  reasoners,  therefore,  Vv'ho  proniote  such 
principles,  either  see  not  the  mischievous  and  preposterous 
result  of  them  ;  or,  if  they  do  see  them-  are  very  little  enti- 
tled, either  by  thjir  heads  or  their  hearts,  to  the  respect  and 
attention  of  marikind.* 

*  We  have  had  several  attempts  of  lite  to  introluce  the  fatality 
of  the  Stoics,  and  the  absolute  nece:^sity  of  all  thinsi,s,  without  re- 
ference to  the  will  or  providence  of  God,  which  itself,  according  to 
nome,  seems  tied  down  to  this  all-rulin;^  fate,  after  tlic  representa- 
tion of  the  antient  heathens. 

This  is,  to  all  intents  and  purposes- mere  malerialism:  And  the 
arguments,  which  are  brought  to  prove  that  sort  of  natural  neces- 
sity", do  conclude  in  materialism. 

if  matter  existed  before  mind,  those  philosophers  are  undoubted- 
ly right,  who  raise  all  the  actions  of  mind  out  of  matter,  in  which 
case  chere  is  no  supreme  inteilet'iuai  Being  ;  and  thtn  the  creed  of 
Gnnoza  (foUo'.ving  some  antient  heathenc;  that"  God  is  all  things," 
must  in  consequence  be  received.  Upon  this  plan,  it  will  be  right 
io  allo\y,  that,  in  all  respeas,the  principle  cdled  the  zoul  is  wholly 


J20  S  P  I  R  I  T     or     L  I  F  E. 

The  life  of  spirits,  not  only  distin6l  but  from  hetei'o- 
geneous  jnatter,  is  exercised  in  memory,  will,  understanding, 
reasoning  &c,  and  moves  by  these  faculties,  as  the  body  ob- 
tains sensible  motion  by  its  members.     When  this  spiritual 

modified  and  governed,  entirely  acls  and  thinks,  according  to  the 
disposal  or  organization  of  the  body.  The  next  step  after  this  is, 
when  the  body  perishes,  the  soul  ceases  to  be.  And  here  we  may 
look  round  us,  and  see  religion  and  revelation  swallowed  up  in  the 
vortex  oT  infidelity  and  atheism. 

But  if  mind  existed  before  matter,  or,  in  other  words,  if  Goc^ 
existed  before  gross  substance,  and  is  in  his  own  nature  difi'erent 
from  it;  then,  all  forms  of  being,  v/hether  sensible  or  intelligible, 
are  copies  of  those  ideas  which  pre-existed  in  his  mind  ;  or,  they 
were  created  without  design.  Those  ideas  also  must  have  been  es- 
sentially mental^  because  they  existed  before  the  sensible  forms,  and 
are  not  the  objects  of  sense  in  any  respeft.  It  follows,  then,  that  his 
ideas  (speaking  with  humble  reverence)  were  prior  to  the  modifica- 
tions of  matter,  and  that  those  modifications  exist  agreeable  to  the 
ideas  ;  othervv'ise,  there  is  no  such  being  as  God^  considering  him 
as  pure  Spirit,  nor  any  such  arrangement,  as  we  understand  by  his 
providence. 

If  this  last  conclusion  be  impossible  and  absurd  (as  may  well  be 
believed)  God,  as  an  infinite  and  eternal  Spirit,  is  the  mental  cause 
of  all  material  existence,  and  the  source  of  intellection  in  all  spiritual 
being.  Whatever  exists,  or  a6\s  in  its  existence,  received  its  sub- 
stance and  all  its  powers  entirely  from  him. 

That  organization  of  body  is  not  necessary  to  the  a6ls  of  the 
mind,  is  evident  from  the  angels  and  the  spirits  of  just  men  made 
perfect,  who  see  and  enjoy  felicity  and  knowledge  n.ore  purely  and 
freely  Avithout  body,  than  we  can,  who  remain  in  the  flesh.  This 
we  must  believe,  indeed,  upon  the  authority  of  the  Scriptures  ;  or, 
if  we  will  not  believe  them,  we  may  commence  Sadducees,  and  say, 
there  is  neither  angel.nor  spirit,  who,  if  they  exist  at  all,  must  neces- 
sarily exist  more  pcrfcC^lly  and  sublimely  in  thought  and  power, 
than  creatures  surrounded  with  clay. 

If  mere  organizatiorof  body  were  sufficient  to  workup  thought, 
or  to  modify  it  into  reason  and  wisdom  ;  the  Ouran-Outcng  would 
liave  as  good  a  chance  to  comprehend  or  cogitate,  as  the  being  cal- 
led huKtan,  M.  Biijon  says,  that  "  all  the  parts  of  the  Ouran-Ou- 
tang's  head,  limbs,  and  body,  external  and  internal,  are  so  perfect- 
ly similar  to  the  human,  that  we  cannot  collate  them  together, 
without  being  amazed  at  a  conformation  so  parallel,  and  at  an  or- 
ganization so  exaclly  the  same,  though  not  resulting  to  the  same 
elTccts.  The  tongue,  for  example,  and  all  tlie  organs  of  speech, 
are  the  same  in  both  ;  and  yet  the  Ouran-Outang  does  not  speak  : 
The  brain  is  absolutely  the  same  in  texture,  disposition,  and  pro- 
portion ;  and  yet  he  does  not  think  :  An  evident  proof  'this  (conti- 
nue.s  he)  that  mere  matter  alone,  though  perfccliv  organized,  can- 
not produce  thought,  nor  speech  the  index  of  thought,  unless  it  be 

anifUiited  with  a  superior  principle,'' One  is   almost  tempted  to 

lliink,  that  the  similarity  between  this  brute  and  human  nature  was 


SPIRIT     OF     LIFE.  121 

principle  is  removed,  the  body  becoir.es  torpid  and  ifta6livc  : 
When  this  principle  is  only  suspended,  as  in  truriccs  or  in 
bodies  half-drowned,  there  is  no  aiTtion  in  the  ojLward  ma- 
chine,  though  all  the  nerves  remain,  and  no  alterations   ap- 

.crcated,  on  purpose  to  sliew  us,  that  the  soul  is  a  principle  inde- 
pendent of  matter,  and  that  we  do  not  think  and  reason  because,  we 
have  bodies^  but  because  (in  tbat  nearer  approach  to  the  imaj^e  of 
God)  we  have  immortal  and  immaterial  souls. 

If  the  excellency  of  the  mentdl  faculty  depended  on  corpoieal 
organization  ;  then  the  most  beautiful,  strong,  and  vv  ell-proporticn- 
ed  bodies  must  think,  and  reason,  and  understand,  with  the  |3,icat- 
est  force,  perspicuity,  and  wisdom.  But  nothint;  needs  to  be  a(iued 
to  refute  this  proposition. 

It  is  one  thing  to  say,  that  the  soul  receives  many  of  its  ideas 
through  the  medium  of  the  senses  ;  and  quite  c;ncther  to  affirn:, 
that  the  senses  generate  those  ideas.  Stjisc  and  senstbk  objects  may 
(as  has  been  well  expressed)  be  "  an.edium  to  awaken  the  dormant 
energies  of  man's  understanding;  yet  those  energies  then>selves 
are  no  more  contained  in  sense^  than  the  explosion  ot  a  cannon  in 
the  spark  Vvrhich  gave  it  fire."t  The  mind  of  n<an,  simply  con- 
sidered as  mind,  must  be  similar  to  that  of  angels  or  discmbcdicd 
spirits  ;  as  their  mind  is  (so  far  as  finite  can  respeciinfinhe;  \o  the 
mind  of  God.  There  must  exist  something  of  congeniaiity  in  the 
whole  spiritual  world  ;  or  there  could  be  no  communicationhciwi^^ixi 
human  and  angelic  spirits,  or  betv/een  those  and  God. 

This  congtniaiity  or  identity  of  ideas,  betv/een  human  and  superior 
spirits,  seems  to  demonstrate  of  itself,  that  ideas  are  not  depende7:t 
upon  or  formed  hy  matter  ;  because,  if  they  were,  pwre  spirits  cculd 
not  think  at  all.  Nor  could  the  identity  of  ideas  subsist  between  men, 
and  angels,  and  God;  if  the  origin  of  the  human  idea  was  placed 
in  sensii.non^  and  the  origin  of  pure  spirits  in  absolute  intellect  ion, 
which  are  properties  entirely  discrepant  and  heterogeneous.  And 
if  heterogeneous,  how  can  mattev  produce  what  is  so  unhke  itself,  as 
mind  is  ? 

Carrying,  our  ideas  still  higher,  we  may  make  this  principle  con- 
fute itself.  For,  if  matter  generate  idea  ;  it  will  follow,  that  there 
is  no  idea  without  matler  :  And,  if  there  be  no  idea  without  mat- 
ter, then-,  either  God  is  matter,  or  depends  upon  matter  fcr  his  i- 
cleas,  which  will  amount  to  nearly  the  same  thing,  and  is  down- 
right Pantheism. 

Further;  it  seems  unavoidable,  that  all,  Avhich  ^/n^  v/iih  mat- 
ter, must  end  with  matter ;  because  no  iz'Si^.€i  c-n  rise  above  its 
cause  :  And  from  hence  lik -wise  it  will  follow,  that  all  that  philoso- 
phv(as  'tis  crdled'^  which  makes  groe:s  substance  xhQ primvm  mobile 
and  the  principle  of  lhour;ht,  tends  only  to  establish  the  blind  fate 
of  the  heathens,  ordirei^  materiaUsm. 

r.ut,  among  other  nroofr>,  that  the  mind  of  man  did  not  originate 
from  matter,  it  doth  not  e.'.'r/f/K-rf,  but  seeks  for  itself  a  more  pcrfett 

t  See  a  learned  and  elegant  discussion  cftli's  subject  in  Har- 
ris's Hcnnes,  Book  iii.  chap.  -1. 


12,2  S  P  I  R  I  T     oE     L  I  F  E. 

peAr  in  the  material  frame.  But  let  the  spirit  be  restored, 
th'.-"  hoU'-  revives,  jin-i  proves  itsal^  animated^  or  endued  wiih 
so7rtctbin^-^far  ab'^ve  itself^  by  these  actions  which  con  Tspoiid 
with  its  frame.    Shali  wo  sny  tiien,  that  this  niass,  \\hich|.re- 

and  exalted  frood.  The  '>vhole  v/orld  cannot  fill  the  soul,  nor  sc- 
tisfy  it';  and  the  spirit  of  a  man  can  find  no  true  rest  or  toinpiacen- 
cy  but  in  an  intc!!cct:ial  vood.  1  he  good,  -w'licL  is  GooD^'^ss  it- 
self, and  fills  all  thin:^s,  can  only  fill  that  "  achiii,..  void,"  vhich 
every  man   by  the  corruption  of  his  nature,  ieels  ^v  t^dn  him. 

Undoubtedly,  respeJ^in^-  the  material  substances  ^^hout  us,  v.e 
form  our  ide.is  of  them  thrcugn  the  rr^cdtum  of  matter.  Lut  n  '^i- 
tjr  dot/t  71  ji  form  those  i'^leas  ;  for,  if  it  could,  the  eye  woula  sse,  und 
the  orn^ans  of  sense  would  continue  <■©  perceive,  v/htn  the  spirl'  is 
departed.  It  is  the  spirit,  ivhich  employs  those  organs,  as  instru- 
ments, to  ran^^e  in  the  '.vor!:l  of  matter,  and  by  tlie  application  of 
in ^m  determines  upon  the  quality  or  quantity  of  substances,  A'ciy 
difiercnt  from  itself.  God  has  ,^iven  us  this  constitution,  and  "vvoi*- 
derfully  enables  us  to  perceive  it.  Indeed,  it  seems  a  greater  ^von- 
der.that  matter  actuated  by  mind  should  seem  almost  to  investigate 
matter,  and  so  rise  above  it,  than  that  mere  mind  should  com[  re- 
hend  matter,  as  it  undoubtedly  must,  if  there  are  such  being;s  as 
ani^els  and  the  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect.  Our  spirits  can 
vrork  upon  matter,  can  frame  ideas  of  it  or  according-  to  it,  ar^d 
throu^^h  the  intervention  of  matter  can  receive  ideas.  But  matter  is 
only  the  viedium  (as  we  said  before)  not  the  cause.  If  a  man  invent 
a  science,  the  origin  of  the  idea  is  intrinscally  intellecUiah  The 
np'rit  con  bhies  the  material  forms,  and  discovers  conclusionr, 
which,  however  they  may  exist  in  the  matter,  matter  itself  could 
not  have  discovered.  Geometry,  for  instance,  respects  m-aterial 
proportiors  ;  and  these  proportions  exist  in  the  substance  of  mat- 
ter: B'lt  was  it  the  eye,  or  the  hand,  or  the  ear,  of  LvcUd;  v/as  it 
];';S  ;;:/;:i,  or  his  bcch^  which  traced  them  out  ?  His  body,  surely,  was 
but  the  ir.achh}£  of  his  mind,  and  a6ted  upon  matter  by  its  direction* 

If  the  soul  hath  no  ideas  but  v.hat  it  derives  from  the  body  ; 
then  it  is  not  an  ens  oistinPc  from  the  body,  but  a  co-essential  sub- 
s'.c.nce  with  it,  thour;h  rarified  to  the  utmost  degree  of  exility. 
Hence,  it  seems  perishable  with  body  ;  or,  if  it  could  txifit  with- 
out it,  yc^  having];  nobody  to  aet  with  it,  it  can  have  no  ideas,  but 
must  lose  the  very  aiTtivlty  of  its  bein^^,  and  sink  into  an  inertnes?, 
which  contradi^^s  evsry  notion  of  spirit. — Of  such  consequence  is 
The  opinion,  whic!i  renders  the  soul  dependent  upon  matter  both  in 
esse  et  :■-.  '^psrcir:^  that  it  dire<?ily  removes  the  b.sisof  the  in-.mortality 
as  ^Tell  as  imm.'iterialiry  of  al'  spirit,  and  puts  men,  nay, God  himself, 
upon  a  level  with  the  tecAi  that  perish, 

AVhen  we  ascend  to  forms  purely  inteHjctuaJ.^-Q.  sc^em  to  a6t  as 
truly  '.pirilual  beings,  and  leave  matter  quite  out  of  sif!;ht.  V-  e 
th:nJ\  without  tlie  intervention  of  our  animal  senses,  \'.pon  many 
.uhie''Its,  and  upon  some  of  which  those  senses  coiddhavcno  ex- 
•rci^e.  Onr  corporal  fr.une,  for  inf^tance,  has  nolhinp;to  do  witl  re- 
ligion, but  to  be  governed  according  to  its  dictates  :  It  haa  no  par- 


SPIRIT    or    LIPE.  n^ 

sently  corrupts  without  that  other  principle,  is  the  liFc  orino-i 
tiou  of  that  principle?  Or,  rcither,  that  this  immaterial  part, 
which  can  leave  the  body  without  taking  away  one  aLom  ot* 
its  substance,  is  the  life,  which  thinks  in  ihut  bodv,  aiid  the 

ticular  relation,  as  a  lump  oi'  m.'.tter,  to  its  spiritual  concerns,  ar.d 
Clin  afibrd  us  no  ideas,  no  nor  yet  sensation  coiicerniaji,  ther;i.  it 
may  be  ailed  upon,  and  atJsurL'dly  is,  in  this  momentous  case  ;  i.iit 
it  doth  not  and  cannot  a6l  u-om  itself.  See  Jolm  iv.  24. 

Upon  the  ^-r-jvind  of  the  Christian  rc'i^ion,  this  Epicurian  busir.'.'.:s 
of  the  potency  of  niatter  must  pre'jcntly  fall  into  atoms.  Ktie  \.'e 
find,  that  there  is  no  activity  but  in  spirit;  and  that  this  acu: ':y 
oris.^inates  from  the  supreme  Spirit,  is  communicated  by  him  tot  - 
ry  thing'  v/hich  acls,  and  is  limited  by  him  in  the  mode  and  dtvrtc  ef 
aftion.  Matter  is  all  obedience  here  ;  and  even  spirits  thems'v.lv_s 
are  active,  only  through  the  impulse  of  his  aCiiviiy.  As  ^cI!l;ors, 
or  comprehensions,  are  as  much  mental  aels,  as  local  motion  is  an 
aJl  of  the  body  ;  so  these  are  determined,  as  well  as  that,  by  tlie 
motion  of  the  Supreme  mind  :  Otherwise,  there  v/cukl  be  a  princi- 
ple of  sdf'cktermination  in  the  creatures,  ^vhich  ^vould  render  th.ia 
Independent  of  his  direiSiion.  In  other  v/ords,  they  would,  in 
that  case,  be  no  longer  creatures  :  And  so  there  Vi'ould  be  an 
utter  end  of  all  providence  in  the  government  of  nature,  rnd 
of  all  grace  in  the  revelation  of  God.  There  would  be  no  certainty 
in  any  thin^,  and  consequently  no  order ;  for  order  is  certaii.ty, 
wearing  only  another  name.  But  if  we  view  God's  /rcc/r/^/ift'  in 
the  government  of  things,  carried  on  with  h\^  grace  in  the  sd ra- 
tion of  his  people  ;  Vv'e  may  see  a  beautiful  arrangement  in  the  r/hcle 
disposition  of  the  intellectual  and  natural  v/orld,  and  a  streny,th  in 
the  whole  fabric,  which  renders  it  indem.olishable.  Yet  there  could 
bj  no  arrangement  of  a  luJioIe^  without  a  previous  disposition  of 
a'l  t\\Q  parts.  How  God  iniiucnces  the  will  of  spirits,  we  cannot 
d-fine;  nor  can  we  define  the  mode  of  Cod's  a;?iion  in  any  thin:>4 : 
But  we  are  sure,  as  his  word  can  te^/ch  us,  that  it  is  He  who  doth 
make  them  tvilling,  and  that  they  7f///  and  do,  according  to  his  pcu-^er* 
We  are  also  sure,  that  he  effeftsthis  disposition  in  our  souls,  sonie- 
times  with,  and  sometimes  without,  the  intervention  of  matter  ;  and 
that,  therefore,  matter  is  not  absolutely  necessary  to  his  operatic"^. 
Ueaner  and  worse  agents  than  this  can  alfccl  the  mind,  and  -cive  it 
inclinations,  which  it  had  not  of  itself.  The  tcniptcticr-s  of  the 
devil  are  not  always  by  m.aterial  objecls,  but  remote  from  th.vir;, 
and  often  afFe6l  oniy  spiritual  concerns.  From  these  short  hintr, 
we  may  conclude  that  God  is  the  so'^erci^n  a-^ent,  that  he  atls  accorc- 
ing  toh\%pr.Jvidtnce  and^rtJtc,  and  that  both  metier  and  spirit  r.re 
acted  upon  by  him. 

That  God  a-.Tl-'^  by  necessity,  in  the  usual  sense  of  Lh-.it  term,  it 
seems  as  impious  to  afhrm,  as  it  is  above  us  to  inquire.  If  Wc;  s.>y, 
he  is  his  own  necessity  ;  we  can  only  mean,  that  he  has  no  necessi- 
ty out  of  liimscif :  And  how  far  we  can  pretend  (o  determine  what 
that  self-necessity  in  the  Godhead  is,  shcuid  be  Icfi  for  a  very  mo'ictt 
tonslderaticn.     Certainly,  he  is  his  own  h^v.'  in  \\\\i  rcspc6\  :  And 


IZ4  S  P  I  R  I  T     0  F     L  I  F  E. 

piotive  power  which  acls  upon  it?  It  seems  even  reasonable 
to  asstjrt,  with  the  voice  oF  rcvcnkd  truths  that  it  is  the  Spi- 
rit, ivbicb  quickcnctb  :   The  ilc&hprcjiittb  notbing, 

Liie,  however,  is  motion,  whether  iiit  the  animal  or  the  in- 

if  wc  say,  that  God  is  his  own  freedom  or  his  own  necessity,  we  are 
too  bold,  if  we  medii  by  these  terms  more  than  this,  that  God  a6ls 
according-  to  his  pleasure,  and  that  all  his  pleasure  must  be  just  and 
ti*iie« 

To  a  Christian,  then,  the  naked  notion  of  an  cboclute  necessitjy 
indepekdcPit  of  the  divine  ccntroul,  is  as  absurd  and  blasphemous  a 
t-niet,  as  the  opinion  of  self-determination  and/rf*?  a^encj.^  independ- 
eiU  of  the  divine  dire6lion,  is  untrue  and  impious.  In  all  things, 
we  shj-:i:dbii  guided  by  (xod  ;  und  certainly  in  all  must  be  ruled  by 
him.  Otiierwise,  there  is  an  end  of  all  providence  ;  and  vve  might- 
adopt  the  \:>OQniiiO^  Lucretius,  in  the  room  of  the  two  Testaments, 
cailed  the  Bible.  "  God's  will  (says  Bc-mardj  is  done  concemin,--  all 
mjn,  and  Ijj  all,  but  not  in  all ;  for  his  people  only  have  thisbles- 
sinr^ — He  h  pleased  with  good  things  in  themselves,  and  satisfied 
widi  his  wise  and  good  disposal  even  of  the  bad."  "  Judas  did  ill 
in  betraying'  Christ  (says  Austin  J  but  God  out  of  his  treachery  pro- 
duced a  Jj^ood,  which  Judas  never  thought  of.  God  viewed  our  sal- 
vation; hut  Judas  only  filthy  lucre."  Farther;  if  matter  could  not 
exiit  but  by  spirit  as  matter,  in  any  other  view,  will  be  eternal,  and 
its  G-:vn  maker,  which  is  preposterous)  certainly,  it  cannot  act  but  by 
spirit.  It  will  follow,  hence,  that  all  the  impressions,  which  may  be 
derived  to  the  soul  from  matter,  must  be  arranged  according  to  Spi- 
rt:, and  that  this  Spirit  must  be  Gon.  If  this  be  admitted,  as  it 
seems  but  just  to  admit  it,  the  divine  providence  opens  to  our 
vievr  in  its  resplendent  glory  ;  free  grace  in  its  sovereign  beauty  ; 
and  all  the  attributes  of  God  uniting  in  the  salvation  of  man,  with 
the  utmost  perfeJiion  and  harmony. — This  is  all  the  necessity  for 
v/hich  a  Christian  should  contend,  and  all  v/hich  concerns  him  to 
know.  And  this  he  5/i<;«/t/ know,  because  God  hath  taught  it :  This 
he  should  believe,  because  the  Author  of  truth  himself  hath  been 
pleased  to  reveal  it. 

lie  is  bound  to  believe  this,  let  his  outward  senses  oppose  or  let  j-^"?:- 
j'j/e  m^i/rr  ap}>ear,  as  it  may.  indeed,  it  is  the  great  business  of 
faith  to  live  above  mere  sense  and  sensible  objects  :  And  hence  again 
it  may  properly  be  asked,  how  then  is  faith  to  receive  any  ideas 
from  them  I  It  can  receive  none,  but  under  such  distributioris  of  the 
sensible  forms,  which  speak  (as  it  were  spiritual  things,  and  so  are 
CDlipoyed  to  shadow  forth  what  ihej  have  not  in  themselves.  Such 
w.re  t^.e  Lcviticd  institutions,  which  led^enso,  even  away  from 
it-^cir,  up  to  faith  ;  thereby  proving  themselves,  when  abstrafted 
of  tlieir  objee"l,  but  ivcak  and  beggar:j  elements,  A  Christian  now 
is  not  to  judge  from  the  appearances  of  matter,  but  to  live  above 
rr.atter  upon  his  God.  Tiiis  is  one  branch  of  the  life  oi  fcitk, 
wliich  iscontra'iistinguisiied  from  sense  in  almost  every  thing. 

There  ir>  no  a':;'i!irdi!:y  in  thi-?,  unless  it  be  ah-urd  to  believe  God, 
and  to  be  pcrsuaied  l'"vt  h^  r;,.,.v.t  lie  :  And  of  this  it  becomes  us  to  . 


,  S  P  I   R  I  T     OF     L  I  F  E.  115 

telkctual  world.  In  the  one  case,  matter  is  moved:  In  th^i 
other,  spirit.  The  rirst  cause  of  both  must  be  thut  GREAT 
LIFE,  who  only  can  be  said  to  live  independently,  nocessii- 
rily,  and  eternally.  What  had  a  beginning  of  life,  owed  th  t 
beginning  to  a  superior  cause  ;  for  no  being  can  produce  itself 
out  of  nothin?^.  JJut  God,  having  no  beginning,  existed  from 
himself,  aiid  is  consequently  independent,  necessary,  ai.d  c- 
ternal.  This  he  gives  us  to  understand  from  his  naine  ]!'- 
HOVAH,  which  implies  all  that  we  can  conceive,  (and  p'(^- 
bably  much  more)  of ///<?,  without  beginning,  dependence,  or 
end.  In  truth,  He  only  lives  ;  because  he  is  the  only  cause 
of  life,  and  the  only  determiner  of  its  various  modes  of  exist- 
ence. He  Is  the  great  Author  of  all  understanding  ;  tiierc- 
fore,  the  intellectual  substances  live  by  him,  and  acl  in  mind, 
thought,  reason,  and  memory,  by  his  power.  He  is  the  s.">1e 
Creator  of  that  gross  substance  called  matter  ;  therefore,  dl 
77Z^^j/"/u7  natures  are  moved  (having  nothing  akin  to  mo*:u  n 
in  themselves)  by  his  aclivity  and  dire6lion.     He  is  the  first 

be,  at  least,  as  f  Ally  assured,  as  we  are  of  any  evidence  which  can  re- 
sult from  our  corporal  senses.  It  is  possible,  that  these  mviy  deceive 
us  ;  but  it  13  impossible,  that  God  should.  We  may  err  in  the  ap- 
plication of  our  senses  ;  but  God  cannot  be  mistaken  in  the  decla- 
ration of  his  will.  Every  idea  of  certainty^  both  in  the  moral  and 
spiritual  world,  is  derived  from  the  existence  of  God,  without 
whom  all  is  darkness,  anarchy,  and  error. 

The  intelligent  reader  will  pardon  the  length  of  this  note,  if  it 
appear  in  the  least  to  establish,  what  the  author  means  it  should  c- 
stablish,  That  all  matter  was  produced  by  God,  the  creating  nn'nd, 
and  that  it  is  nudificd  according  to  liis  nvill ;  that  all  spirit  is  derived 
from  God,  the  oniy^r^if  Spirit,  and  hath  no  right  or  true  end  but 
communion  with  God  ;  that  both  matter  and  spirit  are  controuled 
in  all  things  by  the  constant  superintendence  of  his  Providence  ; 
that  they  cannot  a!5\  for  rojd,  without  his  ejicient  aid^  nor,  for  cvH^ 
'Vf\\.\\t:i^Ci\.t\\t  permitted  abuse  of  his  potver  ;  and  that  there  is  no  m- 
cessitj  in  any  created  beings,  beside  that  of  their  dependence  upon 
him,  nor  any  self-determination,  beyond  the  limits  of  his  w.7.'. 

In  this  view,  it  is  evident,  that  man  is  free  when  he  ac\s  h  and 
accjrdin^  to  him,  who  is  the  author  o^-aW  freedovi  ;  and  a  slave,  \vheii> 
abusing  the  powers  given  to  his  nature,  he  attempts  to  act  w;^/io«f 
or  against  him.  In  the  one  case,  as  a  child  of  God,  he  is  privileged 
to  walk  in  his  glorious  liverty  ;  and  in  the  other,  as  a  bond-man  of 
that  evil  spirit  who  eltists  without  that  liberty,  he  is  taken  caj.t-.'oe  bj 
him;  while  that  spirit  him-.elf  is  held  in  chains  cf  darhntss  by  the 
power  of  his  Maker.  Thus  every  man,  in  his  depraved  state,  is  ai 
best  but  the  slave  of  a  slave.  Righteousness  and  true  holiness  arc 
the  essential  liberty  of  the  divine  nature  itself:  And  therefore  siu 
and  corruption, having  no  communion  with  the  Almighty,  though  un- 
der his  contryJ,  are  weakness,  misery,  and  bondage. 

R 


X26  S  P  I  R  IT     or    LI-  F  E. 

cause  of  all  existence  ;  therefore,  ih  Him  all  thing's,  whethfei" 
spiriiual  OT  material^  bavt  tbeir  OtiriP, 

Hence,  it  appears,  that  God  only  is  the  Life,  properly  so 
called,  and  that  no  other  being  hath  a  life  of///  own,  inde- 
peiiJcnt  or  undciived.  It  is  nonsense,  as  well  as  blasphemy, 
t-o  say  of  a  creaiurt,  that  he  is  life  of  iisclf:  and  all  beings 
ire  creatures  hui  one,  who,  in  an  eternal  distindion,  is  deno- 
minated God  the  Crkati  r. 

Now,  then,  we  must  ado^t  thfese  conclusions,  that  whate- 
ver being  is  truly  and  justiy  called  :be  life,  as  the  c^uss  of 
life,  is  and  can  be  no  other  than  God:  And  that  whatever 
bein^j-  is  thus  terr.ud  by  divine  revelation,  is  therefore  most 
truly  and  stricily   so. 

'rhat  the  Father  hath  life  in  himself  nobody  will  deny. 
Here  all  men,  who  believe  the.  e  is  sucii  a  being  as  God,  aie 
a^iced:  And  as  for  ihose,  who  venture  to  dei^y  his  exist- 
ence, their  understandings  rather  demand  our  pity  than  an 
argument,     k  fool  ordy  can  afHrm^  There  is  no  God. 

Of  Christ  it  was  said,  that  in  him  ^as  Ufe^  and  the  life  (or 
that  lijej  auuj  the  light  ofjntn:  And  he  says  of  himself,  o- 
p.enly  and  cxi^ressly,  i  am  the  life.  Hence,  then,  the  Father 
ai^a  the  So;.,  assuming  this  essential  name,  claim  to  be  true 
and  very  God. 

That  the  Spirit  is  also  life,  will  appear  both  from  the  at- 
tribute  being  applied  to  him,  and  from  the  exercise  of  the  at^ 
tribute   by  h'lnv. 

In  Roui.  vili.  lo.  The  S\:5irit  is  called  ///>,  in  opposition  to 
the  condemnation  or  death,  which  comes  by  the  transgression 
of  the  lav/.  He  is  termed,  not  only  Lif\  but  v/hat  is  more 
er^phatical,  the  very  Spirit  of  Life,  in  many  places  of  the 
New  Testament ;  nnd  stronger  still,  in  the  Old  Testament^ 
the  Spirit  of  lives.  As  if  it  had  been  said.  He  is  life,  the  ve- 
ry life  of  life,  the  original  life  of  all  lives.  To  denominate 
the  Holy  Ghost  thus,  is  calling  hint  God  by  the  strongest 
terms  which  could  be  used.  It  is  representing  him  essential 
(as  it  were)  to  the  divine  Essence  ;  because  he  is  called  the 
very  Spirit  of  that  life,  in  which  the  essence  exists..  He  is 
denominated  hereby  the  very  energy  of  its  energies,-the  very 
principle  of  its  adion  ad  extra,  the  divine  glory  of  its  power 
in  all  the  creatures.  Compared  with  this,  to  say  simply,  that 
the  Spirit  is  God,  though  it  be  the  same'^ruth,  is  certainly 
not  the  sanie  forcible  expression  of  the  truth.  God  (as  it 
were)  clothes  the  assertions  of  the  Spirit's  divinity  and  glo- 
rv  by  periphrases  and  terms,  which  may  excite  the  strongest 
faith  and  comfort  in  the  ht-arts  of  his  people,  and  leave  with- 
out excuse  those  who,  knowing  not  his  grace,  have  dared  to 
dispute  his  being. 

If  we  coiisider  the  Holy  Spirit's  exercise  of  this  attribute 


SPIRIT     ©  F     LIFE.  1^7 

.o£  life,  we  may  be  stiJI  farther  convjnctd  of  the  same  impor- 
tant (io61rine,  revealed  by  his  name.  Toe  SpJrit  [says  thp 
apostle)  ghtib  life,  a  Cor.  iij.  6.  Ha  gives  natural  life, 
/pirliuiil  life,  and  eteruul  life  y  and,  in  this  view,  He  is 
the  Spirit  vf  lives*  All  live  by  Hiin.  It  was  the  Inatb  or 
inspiration  of  the  Spirit  oj  lives,  which  coinniunicated  natural 
existence  to  all  the  creatuies,  at  the  beginning.  L»c:i.  vii. 
.az.  And  when  that  breath  is  taken  away,  tbcy  die,  and  re- 
turn a^ain  to  their  dust.     i's.  civ.  29. 

With  respe6\  to  spiritual  life,  man  by  the  fall  was  cut  off 
Tii^di  alienated  from  the  life  of  God.  In  this  view,  the  human 
«pirlt  is  acco^nted  as  dead^  and  affirmed  to  be  so  in  a  multi- 
tude of  texts ;  because  it  hath  now  no  true  spiritual  a»^^ion, 
no />wre  motion  ;  and  because  it  is  in  tliat  state,  s^^parated 
^rom  the  Jioiincss  of  Him,  whose  life  is  holiness  itseil:",  and  in 
communion  with  uhich  ail  j;erFe6l  creatuies  are  moved  and 
.concentered  towards  him.  Thus,  n.ot  to  think  vyhat  is  good, 
.not  to  loroe  what  is  good,  not  to  comprehend  what  is  good,  not 
■to  follow  what  is  good  ;  is  that  cessation  from  the  must  truly 
^splntudl  motion,  vviuch  constitutes  spiritual  death.  If  ail 
clcath  be  the  privation  oFlife  ;  this  is  most  eminently  so.— - 
•Now,  who  could  restore  this  life,  who  could  reposses  the  hu- 
inan  mind  with  a6iivity  for  God,  but  God  himself?  Yet  tlie 
Spirit  of  life  doeth  this  i  it  is  his  oilice  to  do  it ;  and  he  takes 
this  name,  among  other  reasons,  to  denote,  that  it  is  his  own 
peculiar  office  to  do  it.  7 he  law  of  the  Spirit  oj  life  in 
Christ  Jesus,  hath  made  me  free  (says  St.  Paul)  from  the  law 
^f  sin  and  death  : — For  the  minding,  will,  or  purpose,  of  the 
fesh^  is  death  ;  but  the  minding,  will,  or  purpose,  of  the  Spi- 
rit^ is  iife  and  peace.  Rom.  viii.  i,  6.  margin.  See  the  whole 
chapter. 

As  the  Spirit  gives  natural  and  spiritual,  so  he  bestows 
everlasting  lire.  He  that  so^>veih  to  the  Spirit  (says  the  apos- 
tle) shall  OF  THE  Spirit  recp  life  e-cerlasting.  Gal.  vi.  8. 

It  appears,  then,  that  the  Spirit  is  both  "  the  Lord  and 
the  Giver  of  life" — of  life  abstradedly,  i.  e.  of  all  the  iife, 
which  we  can  understand  or  know.  And  if  this  be  his  title 
and  his  power;  if  there  be  no  energy  but  by  him,  no  princi- 
ple of  being  but  from  liim  ;  what  shall  that  opinion  be  called, 
which  denies  him  to  be  God?  Shall  we  say,  that  it  is  an  ab- 
surdity ?  It  must  be  so,  if  a  contradiction  to  all  truth  and  e- 
vidence  can  merit  the  name.  Shall  we  believe  it  to  be  blas- 
phemy I  It  cannot  be  otherwise,  if  a  word  spoken  against  the 
Holy  Ghost  shall  never  be  forgiven,  either  in  this  world  or 
in  the  Vv^orld  to  come.  O  how  fearfully,  then,  do  tliey  pre- 
sume ;  how  dangerously  do  they  trifle  with  their  ovyn  souls; 
who,  not  content  with' speaking  a  word  against  this  blessed 
Comforter,  write  vshnr^es  upcn  volumes  in  degradation  of  hit 


128  S  P  I  R  I  T     o  F     L  I  F  E. 

glory,  and  stek  to  make  proselytes  to  the  most  daring  defa- 
mation of  his  yjerson  ainong  men  ! 

As  the  Fatbtr^  Son^  and  Holy  Gbost^  have  each  life  iji  them- 
selves^ aiid  are  therefore  x.\\\:tQ persons  ;  so,  there  being  but  one 
original  life,  the  three  persons,  by  claiming  thul  original  life, do 
declare  themselves  to  be  but  one  iindividt:d essence.  They  could 
not  be  persons^  if  they  had  not  this  life  disiinctly  :  They  could 
not  be  one  essence  or  God^  n  there  was  any  separation  or  differ- 
ence in  the  life.  Hence  the  co-essentiality  and  co-equality  are 
as  common  to  eacbi  as  the  life  is  common  to  all:  They  co-exist, 
as  one  God  ;  and  yet  exist  in  distin61ion,  as  three  persons. 
Thus,  each  is  called  Jehovah  in  Scripture,  and  is  certainly 
Jehovah  ;  yet  there  is  but  one  Jehovah,  and  can  be  but  one. 
OF  course,  the  three  persons  are,  in  a  mode  inconceivable  by 
thj  creatures,  the  one  Jehovah  ;  and  the  one  Jehovah  exists 
in  the  three  persons  ;  or  the  Scripture  will  contradi6l  itself, 
and  be  untrue  ;  which  is  either  impossible  or  it  is  not  a  di- 
vine revelation.  Each  of  the  three  persons,  then,  is  self- 
cxisient ;  or  each  cannot  be  Jehovah^  which  is  the  name  for 
self-existence,  and  which  means  the  same  thing  with  the 
bwcing  life  in  himself.  They  are  also  co-existent^  or  oi  equal 
existence  ;  else,  it  is  impossible,  that  they  should  be  of  one 
essence.  There  is  not,  there  cannot  be,  higher  or  lower,  in- 
ferior or  superior,  difference  or  inequality,  in  Jehovah  ;  for 
such  discord  would  destroy  the  very  serse  of  the  name,  and 
is  repugnant  to  every  scriptural,  and  even  rational,  idea  of 
th<i  perfections  of  the  Godhead.  As  each  person  claims  the 
essential  attributes  ;  these  attributes  could  not  be  essential, 
perfe6l,  and  divine,  unless  the  three  persons  were  equally  so. 
It  is  impossible,  that  either  of  them  should  hold  the  same  at- 
tributes in  a  higher  or  lower  degree  ;  for  that  notion  destroys 
the  very  idea  of  the  essentiality  of  tliose  attributes,  and  di- 
vides and  distributes,  what  is  absolutely  indivisible  and  un- 
impartible. 

Those  people,  therefore,  who  suppose  any  inferiority  in 
the  Godhead,  do  not  seem  perfeflly  aware  to  what  conse- 
quences their  notion  will  lead  them, and  how,  by  supposing  it, 
they  entirely  darken  the  divinity  of  two  of  thedivine  persons, 
and  in  fad  deny  xh^  personality  itself.  Otherwise,  to  avoid 
this  conclusion,  they  must  run  into  absolute  tritheism,  or,  if 
they  please,  into  p.^sitive  idolatry.      Thus, 

Jncidii  in  Scyila?n^  qui  vult  vitare  Chary bdim. 

It  may  be  said,  and  it  lias  becii  said,**  that  God  is  a  Spirit, 
and  that  this  name  of  Spirit  may  belong  to  him  as  one  indis- 
tinguishable person." -Respecting  the  subtlety,  purity,  and 

ybsolute  immateriality  oi  his  nature,  it  is  undeniable,  that 
Ood  is  Spirit^  a  S[irit,  one  Spirit  ;  because  he  is  one  nature, 
and  one  essence  \  and,  in  this  re*pe61;,  the  Father,  Son,  and 


S  P  I  R  I  T     OF     L  I  F  E.  129 

Spirit,  being  lioly,  may  justly  be  termed  Holy  Spirit.  But 
thtse  last  names  are  names  of  office,  and  vveie  not  intended 
so  much  to  convey  the  notices  of  what  the  persons  are  in 
themselves^  as  of  what  they  are  to  us.  The  Spirit  of  God, 
for  instance,  is  so  named,  because  it  is  his  office  in  the  cove-' 
naat,  to  breathe  lite,  to  inspire  the  strength  of  that  life,  and 
to  be  the  very  Spirit,  fountain  and  cause  both  of  it  and  of 
its  continuance,  iu  all  the  redeemed.  In  this  rcspc^.  He  is 
also  their  Father  ;  and  is  so  called.  The  Son  of  God,  h^r  a 
similar  reason,  is  styled-,  7hc  everlasting  Facijer*^  And,  wiicn 
we  address  ourselves  in  that  peifecl  form  oi  words,  which 
Christ  hath  taught  us  to  use  ;  v/e  address  the  three  persons 
in  ono  Godhead,  and  style  theni  our  Futbcr,  As  it  hath  been 
already  observed  in  the  former  volume,  p.  91,  the  charac- 
ters and  offices  of  the  Eternal  Trinity  are  plainl)'  marked  out 
and  expressed  in  the  course  ut  linit  prayer  ;  and  the  inter- 
changing some  of  these  characters  and  offices  to  the  respe^Sl- 
ive  person*  in  the  Godhead,  seems  evidently  desigr.ed  to  de- 
monstrate their  respective  equality,  and  their  mutual  consent 
and  energy  in  all  operations.  V/e,  in  facl,  cannot  address 
one  of  the  divine  persons,  without  worshipping  the  other  tiuo  : 
because  we  worship  him  as  God,  and  because  there  is  but  ons 
Essence  or  Godhead.  A  true  Christian  cannot  be  an  /Vo/^- 
/cr,  for  he  doth  nv)t  worship  the  figment  of  his  own  brains, 
but  a  God  revealed ;  nor  a  Polyiheist^  for  he  worships  one 
God  J  nor  an  Arian^  for  he  worships  each  person  in  the  (jod- 
eead  ;  nor  an  heretic  against  the  Holy  Ghost ^  for  he  adores 
the  Godhead  in  the  Spirit,  and  by  the  Spirit,  and  also  the 
Spirit  himself^  in  the  unity  of  the  Godhead.  He  believes 
God's  own  account  of  his  own  divine  nature,  and  implicitly 
obeys  his  sovereign  direction  in  all  a6ls  of  adoration  and 
duty. 

The  enmity  which  has  been  shewn  to  this  fundamental, 
doctrine  of  true  religion,  both  by  Jev/|  and  Gentile,  is  the 

*  See  under  this  name  in  Vol.  i.  p.  89. 

t  When  the  enmity  of  the  Jews  is  spoken  of  in  this  case,  it  is  to 
be  understood  of  the  modern  Jews.  The  anlicnt  people  of  this  de- 
nominatioawere  of  a  different  opinion  respeiling  this  and  some  c- 
ther  do6lrines  of  revelation,  and  aj^reed  in  substance  v»'ith  the  Chris- 
tians. Some  proof  of  this  has  been  given  in  the  Introduclion  to  the 
first  Volume  of  these  Essays  ;  and  the  learned  reader  miiy  find 
^nore,  in  Mornaus's  Book  de  veritate  rcli'^^ionis  Lhrlstiun£^  and  m  Po' 
Poke's  notes  upon  Maimonides's  dissertations,  entitled  Pjrta  Mosis, 

It  may  not  be  unsatisfactory  to  readers,  who  have  not  opportuni- 
ty to  co;isult  such  l;inds  of  books,  to  lay  before  them  an  abstract  of 
\.)\& present  Jewish  fundamentals  ;  by  which  they  may  see  something 
of  their  distance  from  the  'v'Jirlstion  reliction,  and  how  little  in  fa6\ 
they  differ  from  Socir.ir.ns,  Turks,  and  the  men  cf  what  is  called  nj.' 


I.30  SPIRIT     o  T     LIFE. 

t]  e  best  apology  for  considering  it  in  so  many  of  the  v«^riou.S 
\i  -  ys,  which  relate  to  our  fajth  and  hopes  both  here  and  heve- 
ui.er.  The  souls  of  men  are  at  stuke  in  this  case  ;  and  the 
dignity  of  God  forbids  ail  presumption  and  tiifliiig.  W-?, 
therefore,  for  safety  fly  to  his  word,  which,  wp  are  sure,,  can 
never  deceive  us  ;  and  ve  slay  ou'Selv  s  upon  his  revelation., 
V/hicii  alone  can  pitcisdv  iii  "orm  us  i;!  all  thirgs.  Vvhicli  are 
proper  or  necessary  to  our  saivntion.  O  one  tuii.g,  we  aie 
vfiiy  certaui,  that,  if  God  hu'-.l)  not  told  us  the  truth,  rcsjjec- 
tmg  his  .//n  naiu  ■<:  c>nd  Ids  eoga  cements  to  us,  we  shall  ne- 
ver be  able  to  tiui  u  one  ourselves  ;  and  in  that  case  v/e  may 

/wr^;  religion  ;  even  while  they  profess  to  believe  in  a  divine  reve- 
lation. These  fundamentals  are  stated  in  the  celebrated  catechim 
of  }\2h\j\  Abraham  Jagel^  and  were  originally  ex' ratted  from  Mai- 
monidcs,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  Porta  Mosis^^,  164,  See. 

1.  That  there  is  a  Creator,  by  whom  are  all  things. 

2.  That  this  Creator,  is  cnt  Cody  of  the  most  pcrfecl  simplicity 
and  unity  of  being. 

3.  That  tliis  one  God  is  absolutely  incorporeal,  and  cannot  be 
included  hi  bcdy-^  nor  vjear  the  likeness  of  body. 

4.  That  God  is  also  eternal,  without  beginning  or  f^n'J. 

5.  That  this  one  eternal  God  only  is  to  be  worshipped  by  all  the 
creatures. 

6.  That  God  hath  imparted  his  will  to  Moses  and  the  prophets, 
by  his  own  inspiration. 

7.  That  the  prophecy,  delivered  by  Moses^  is  more  excellent, 
than  that  delivered  by  the  patriarchs  and  other  prophets  ;  because 
ilio^cj  spake  with  God,  face  to  face,  without  vision,  or  suppression 
of  the  natural  faculties,  or  any  previous  preparation;  which  vvas 
peculiar  to  Moses  alone. 

8.  That  Moses  a6led  as  the  mere  amanuensis  of  God,  in  v/riting 
Loth  the  historical  and  ceremonial  parts  of  his  five  bocks. 

9.  That  to  this  revelation  nothing  is  to  be  added^  and  from  it 
nothinp;  to  be  diminished, 

10.  That  God  knows  all  the  thoughts,  words,  and  works  of  men. 

1 1.  That  God  will  punish  or  reward  men  in  another  life,  accord- 
ing to  their  work«,  and  particularly  the  Jeti's^  more  or  kss  thano- 
thers,  for  theii'  obedience  or  disobedience  of  the  law. 

12.  That  God  iviilj^t  send  the  Messiah  to  eeliverthe  Jer.-s  (vom 
the  bondaii^e  of  the  Gentiles,  although  his  advent  be  long  delayed  ; 
that  this  Messiah  is  to  arise  of  the  stock  of  David  the  son  of  Jesse, 
of  Bethleh'.*m  ;  that  he  wdl  govern  the  world  in  righteousness  ; 
that,  upon  his  advent,  the  Jews  sh?dl  repossess  their  own  land,  re- 
build the  temple,  and  resume  all  the  antient  ceremonies  and  ob-^ 
servances  of  tiie  law  ;  and  that  it  is  tlieir  duty  to  pray  for  this  con- 
tinually. 

13.  That  there.is  a  resurreQion  of  the  dead. 

Concernnig  this  last  article  there  is  much  difference  and  dispiita- 
tioa  amon;j  them;  as  may  be  seen  at  large  in  the  very  learned 
notes  of  Dr.  Pocacke  above-iiicntioned,  c.  vi.  p.  86,  £cc. 


StlRlT     or    LIFE.  131 

(oki  ns  ih'^  World  is)  ereil  another  altar,  and  inscribe  it, 
with  the  heathens — To  the  unka'  ,>v.'N  God. 

V/e  have  hinted,  in  anolher  place,  for  whut  reason  the  third 
person  in  the  Trinity  hath  assumed  the  nan^iC  of  Spiu it.  It 
is  a  title  borrowed  from  the  ^/r,  vvhichvve  breathe,  to  conv.^y 
to  oiir  niinds,  under  that  sensible  form,  our  spiritual  depend- 
ence upon  his  person.  As  "jjtnd  is  air  in  motion,  it  is  his 
freq'jcnt  emblem  to  denote  the  quickness,  subtlety,  and  ef- 
fect, of  his  aelivity.  No  animal  can  subs.st  a  moment  with- 
out air,  not  even  the  fishes  under  the  waier:  All  the  vege-i 
table  tribes  live  by  it,  and  without  it  perisli.  It  is,  in  fai>, 
so  much  the  life  of  all -creatures  in  this  system,  that  to  breathe 
and  to  live,  are  exa6lly  synonimous.  We  have  no  power  in 
our  animal  sense,  but  by  this  medium.  Air  conveys  sounds 
to  our  ears,  smells  to  our  nose,  and  reflects  the  light  of  the 
heavenly  orbs  to  our  eyes. — What  this  subtle  and  most  ne* 
cessarv  fluid  is  to  our  bodies  ;  just  such  is  the  most  holy  and 
blessed  Spirit  to  our  souls.  We  have  no  spiritual  life  but  by 
his  momentary  supply.  We  have  no  spiritual  strength  but 
by  his  continual  support.  Whenever  we  move  forOoci;  lid 
is  the  spring  and  life  of  our  motion,  gives  all  the  efHcacv,  and 
doeth  ail  in  us  and  by  us.  Our  bodies^  possibly,  are  not  moi^e* 
gross  in  comparison  of  the  air,  tlian  our  spirits  are  to  the 
subtle  nature  and  force  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  We  know  the 
action  of  the  wind,  though  we  cannot  see  it ;  and  throu:;hout 
eternity  we  may  be  perceiving  the  impressioi-is  of  the  floly 
Ghost,  withoiit  being  able  to  explain  them.  It  will  be  snlfi- 
cient  for  us,  both  here  and  hereafter,  to  enjoy  the  fullness  of 
Ids  almighty  love,  which,  because  it  is  infinite,  must  always 
be  indefinable.  As  our  outward  senses  cannot  be  exercised 
without  the  intervention  of  the  air,  his  e.r.hlem  ;  so  neither 
can  our  spirits  hear,  taste,  see,  and  enjoy  the  v^rsdom,  grace, 
and  righteousness  of  God,  but  by  his  constant  inspiration. 
He  refle6\s  the  light  of  Chiist  upon  our  souls,  explains  the 
things  of  Christ  to  our  minds,  and  applies  the  salvation  of 
Christ  to  our  whole  frame.  Wc  are  spii  itually  dead  without 
him,  separated  frcrn  the  life  of  God,  alienated  from  the  love 
of  God,  altogcither  both  spiritual  and  natural  rottenness,  cor- 
ruption, and  mortality,  or  whatever  of  misery  and  death  can 
be  included  in  those  terms. 

God  hath  given  his  people  a  pointed  ajr,v;;-ipi:ion  of  their 
case,  in  the  xxxvii  of  Ezckic!^  under  the  very  emblem  of 
which  we  are  treating.  The  prophet  was  carried  out  in  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord,  and  was  set  dov/n  in  the  mid^t  of  the  val- 
ley, which  was  full  of  bones ;  and  tliose  bones  very  dry. 
They  (whom  these  bones  represented)  wL:\i  in  a  low  place, 
far  from  the  mountain  of  God's  holiness,  and  void  of  the  least 
tfil  or  moisture  of  his  grace.   "  Is  it  possible^  that  these  bones 


133  S  P  I  R  I  T     o  F    L  I  F  E. 

can  live  :"  The  prophet  kndw,  that  nothing  was  too  hardfof 
Gol,  though  every  thing  of  this  kind  must  be  too  hard  for  the 
creature,  and  therefore  rc!'erred  the  answer  to  his  wisdom  and 
pvAvor.  He  was  commanded  to  preach  to  these  bones  in  the 
name  and  by  thj  word  Ol  the  Lord,  (lould  his  feeble  voice  a- 
vail?  No.  He  might  sooner  turn  the  tides  of  the  sea,  and  cause 
the  winds  co  be  still,  than  impart  life  by  his  speaking  to  the 
least  of  these  dry  bones.  But  he  did  not  reason  like  a  bold  Ra- 
tionalist, who  must  be  informed  of  and  will  pretend  to  un- 
derstand eve.y  thing,  or  will  credit  nothing:  He  o  If  eyed  like. 
a  true  believer  in  that  God  who  cannot  lie,  who  orders  no- 
thing, and  who  will  do  nothing,  in  vain.  As  he  spake^  while  the 
words  were  in  his  mouth,  the  effed  began  :  The  wind  breath- 
ed upon  the  bones  ;  and  they  lived,  and  stood  up  upon  their 
feet,  even  an  exceeding  great  army. — This  was  the  vision  or 
parable.  Immediately  afterwards  is  subjoined  the  comment  or 
explanation,  which  contains  one  of  the  most  noble  testimo- 
nies in  the  Bible  for  the  Spirit's  divinity  and  glor}'.  iHtjillput 
my  Spirit  in  you^and ye  shall  ihe^  says  Jebavab  to  his  peo- 
ple. A-s  if  it  liad  been  said ;  ''  your  souls  are  as  dead  to  God 
as  these  dry  bones  are  to  the  world  :  Ye  have  no  power  to 
raise  yourselves  from  death,  any  more  than  they.  My  word, 
hj  my  appointed  instruments,  must  come  forth  ;  and  my  Spi- 
rit must  accompany  that  word,  to  make  it-effeclual  for  your 
regeneration.  When  that  Holy  Spirit  is  placed  within  you^ 
ye  shall  Ihe — live  spiritually  by  his  continual  inspiration, 
ar.d  hnally  enter  into  the  possession  of  heaven  jy^^z/r  ow;:,  for 
ever  appointed  to  be,  j{??/r  oii^n  land.^^ — Taking  this  whole  ex- 
pressive prophecy  together,  it  evidently  appears,  that  as  the 
dry  bones,  wlien  restored  to  their  orignal  state  and  form,  that 
13,  compounding  the  respective  men  to  whom  they  belonged, 
could  not  live  without  breatiiing  the  material  wind  ;  so  nei- 
tlier  God's  people,  even  when  regenerated  and  renewed,  can 
subsist  in  their  spiritual  life,  without  the  breath  of  that  holy 
Spirit,  whose  office  it  is  to  impart  and  maintain  it  in  their 
souls. — A  man*must  be  most  violently  prejudiced  indeed,  who 
will  not  see,  that  this  is  the  obvious  and  important  docStrine, 
inculcated  by  the  prophecy  before  us. 

AVhen  men  can  live  naturally  without  air  for  their  bodies, 
they  may  live  spiritually  Vv^ithout  the  Holy  Ghost  for  their 
souls.  This  is  ow^  of  those  evident  and  solemn  truths,  which 
shine  through  the  fabric  of  the  Book  of  God.  And  if,  there- 
fore, it  be  ecjuully  true,  that  in  God  we  live,  are  moved,  and 
have  our  biing ;  will  it  not  denionstrably  and  undeniably, 
follow,  that  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  whom  we  thus  live,  is  tru3 
and  very  God  ?  Doth  it  not  appear,  upon  the  ground  of  that" 
fa61,  highly  absurd  to  deny  it  i  Even  reason  becomes,  in  this 
case,  a  handmaid  to  faith,  and  bears  evidence  for  the  divinity. 


S  P  I  R  I  T    o  F    L  I  F  E.  133 

©f  him,  who  created  her.  If  the  Holy  Ghost  be  not  God,  lie 
could  not  ghs  life,  which  is  solely  the  work  and  the  gift  of 
God.  If  the  Holy  Ghost  be  not  God,  he  could  not  mamtain 
life,  because  this  is  the  prerogative  of  God.  If  the  Holy 
Ghost  be  not  God,  he  could  not  o;sto\v  life  cv.r'asiino-^  bvi- 
cause  tills  is  the  sole  possession  of  God,  and  cannot  bj  e.ij  oy- 
ed  but  in  Him.  But  the  holy  Spirit  doetli  all  these  thi  ,:;s, 
hath  done  them  from  the  beginning,  and  hath  pro.nlsed  to  do 
them  for  evermore  :  He  doeth  then  to  myiiads  upon  myriads 
of  creatures,  in  the  same  instant  of  time,  beyond  the  impedi- 
ments of  space,  and  according  to  their  various  capacities.  I3 
it  unbelief  only  to  say,  then,  ''  that  He  is  not  God  cver-bless- 
ed?" — If  these  premises  be  true,  it  must  be  spiritual  folly, 
absurdity,  and  impiety. 

Gould  we  ask  the  highest  creatures,  which  God  hatli  made, 
to  communicate  to  us  the  gifts  and  excellencies  of  grace;  the 
nearer  they  are  to  the  throne,  the  louder  they  would  say, 
"  It  is  not  in  us  to  bestow  them."  They  are  as  much  indebt- 
ed for  divine  life,  and  all  its  sublime  advantages  ;  as  the  poor- 
est reptile  which  crawls  upon  the  ground,  or  as  the  smallest 
inse6l  which  floats  in  the  air,  are  for  their  lives,  to  the  Al- 
mighty Creator.  Nor  could  they  convey  any  of  their  natu- 
ral endowments  to  man,  more  than  man  himself  can  impart 
his  human  nature  to  a  fly.  Life,  with  all  its  proper  appen- 
dages, capacities,  and  exercise,  flows  freely  and  solely  from 
Him,  who  only  bath  life  in  Himself  and  who  infinitely  and 
eternally  lives,  independent  of  others.  "  Creatures  live,  but 
they  are  not  lift  itself  because  they  have  their  life  by  partici- 
pation :  And  every  being:  by  participation  must  be  reduced  to 
somewhat,  that  is  such  [life  or  being]  of  itself ;  therefore, 
the  life  of  the  creature  must  be  reduced  to    God^  who   is  life 

itself."! 

Upon  the  whole,  we  see,  that  if  the  Scriptures  be  true,  in 
ascribing  this  name  and  attribute  of  life  to  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  true,  in  relating  the  fa6ls  of  his  granting  and  supporting 
life  in  the  creatures  ;  the  unavoidable  consequence  is,  that 
the  Holy  Spirit  is  God  or  Jebovab  :  But  if  he  be  not  Jcbo'o.ih 
or  God,  then  the  Scriptures  are  untrue  bjth  in  doctrine  and 
record^  the  Christian  religion  beco.nes  Jt  once  2.  f.ble,  and 
there  is  no  bope  of  salvation^  by  the  means  it  proposes,  eiiiier 
in  this  world,  or  in  the  world  to  come. 

Of  such  importance  to  onvfaitb  is  the  doctrine  of  the  Spi- 
rit's divinity  :  And  it  is  of  no  less  consequence  to  our  exf?e' 
rience.  If  Jebovab  Alebim  alone  could  breathe  into  our  no- 
strils the  breath  of  our  natural  life  ;  surely  none  less  than 
Himself  could   impart  to  our  souls    the   inspi. auon  of  spi- 

S 
t  Gale's  Gourt  of  the  Cent.  Part  iv.  p.  310. 


134  S  P  I  R  I  T    OF     L  I  F  E. 

ritu?.!  life. Gen.  ii.  7.       And    if    this    be    from    Him 

we  must  ciepend  upon  Him  for  it  on  the  one  hand,  that 
it  may  be  const.mtly  maintained  in  us  ;  and,  on  the  o- 
tbcr,  live  out  of  ourselves,  and  reje6l  the  pride  of  our 
ful'len  hearts,  which  very  hardly  stoop  to  this  dependent 
siuialion.  This  proud  independent  spirit  is  so  dear  to  us, 
th.L  the  giving  of  it  up  is  in  rh-;;  Scripture,  called  a  criicijixloiiy 
and  even  a  losing  rj our  very  life.  To  do  this  daily  (and  daily 
it  must  be-  done^  is,  taking  up  the  cross  daily ^  and  followi^c; 
Ch!ist.  It  is  that  surrendering  up  of  lifej'o/-  life,  which  evtrry 
believer  is  more  or  less  acquainted  witli,  all  the  way  to  hea- 
ven. *'  This  (says  the  excellent  Mr.  DorneyJ  cuts  the  heart 
oi  self-pri-dcy  spiritual  surfeiting.,  Tind  slotbfuiness^  when  I  live 
every  moment  at  the  mercy  of  another,  even  Jesus  Christy 
both  for  justifying-  righteousness,  and  every  influence  there- 
of, by  the  immediate  breathing  of  bis  Spihit,  according  to  kis 
good  pleasure;  having  not  the  power,  so  much  as  to  make 
one  hair  white  or  black:  But  1  must  wholly  ijork  by  bis 
hands,  see  by  bis  eyes,  and  in  bis  light  behold  the  light.  What 
more  pov;erful  inducement  can  there  be  to  self-dewial  than 
this  ?  Boasii^ig  is  excluded ;  because  Christ,  in  his  own  per- 
j-c.  and  by  his  own  Si'IRIT,  doeth  whatsoever  is  done  for 
me,  or /«  me.  H»re  lies  the  mystery  and  labo'^r  of  faith, 
v/hich  the  mere  Jiotion  thereof  can  never  reach  unto,  so  as  to 
ii.iprove  the  sam.e  to  a  self-denying  activity  for  God,  in  the 
paths  of  godliness  and  travel  tov/ards  Zion.^''  This  is  one  of 
those  mysteries  of  godliness^  which,  to  the  ungodly,  the  car- 
nal, or  mere  reasoning  professor,  will  akvays  be  mysteries. 
Not  to  live  a  man's  own  life,  but  to  live  by  the  faith  of  the  Son 
of  God^  and  to  breathe  spiritually  by  the  Spirit  of  God;  are 
inexplicable  points  even  to  masters  in  Israel^ who  walk  by 
their  own  understandings  ;  though  obvious  enough  to  the 
meanest  disciple,  who  knows  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  We 
are,  by  nature,  fond  of  our  own  will,  v/isdom,  power ;  and,  at 
every  turn,  are  ready  to  cry  out,  Who  is  Lord  over  usf  We 
presume,  in  consequence,  upon  our  free  agency  and  the  vigor 
of  our  faculties,  and  fancy  we  can  do  all  things  for  God,  while 
we  perceive  riOt,  that  we  have  not  at  present  the  will,  and 
that,  in  fa6l,  we  have  never  had  the  power  to  do  any  thing 
for  Him.  The  louder  the  boast,  the  less  the  deed.  The  Pha- 
risee in  the  temple  was  of  this  cast.  He  came  in  the  undis- 
ceriiing  piide  of  his  natural  state,  and  therefore  was  reje6l- 
ed.  Another  spirit  a^.uated  the  Publican,  led  him  to  re- 
nounce himself,  and  to  see  that  he  could  do  nothing  at  the 
most  but  cry  for  mercy.  He  could  not  even  have  cried  for 
that  mercy  ;  had  he  not  already  obtained  the  mercy  to  cry 
for  it.  It  was  grace^  which  made  the  difference  :  It  was  so- 
vereign grace,  which  filled  his  hungry  soul  with  good  things, 


S  P  I  R  I  T    o  r    L  I  F  E.  135 

and  sent  the  rich  and  self-exalted  empty  awa)'.  Instead  of 
g  ving-  to  God,  as  too  many  dream  ;  we  can  oiily  riccivc  iVom 
H  m  :  And,  when  we  have  received  oie  blessing,  we  must 
receive  unotbcr^  x.\\-^t  we  may  be  enabled  to  use  the  first  for 
good.  If  we  have  the  life  of  the  Spirit,  we  need  the  strength 
of  that  life  for  its  exeicise  and  ein;.d  jyment.  If  we  pray 
and  receive,  we  want  grace  io  praise  for  the  receiving: 
And  if  our  soul*  are  erilarged  towards  God,  we  must  be  in- 
debted to  his  conduci,  that  we  be  not  puffed  up  within  car- 
selves.  If  we  are  diligent,  the  Spirit  of  truth,  who  gave  ua 
pcAver  to  be  diligent,  must  preserve  us  from  the  pride  of  hu- 
man aclivity.  If  we  are  depressed  or  deserted  in  iniud,  (he 
same  Spirit  inwst  uphold  us  from  falling  and  fainting,  must  re- 
strain our  ungrateful    hearts    from    murmurs,    and  our  Jiv?$ 

from  disgracing  his  truth. Heal  believers  knov/   jducIi  of 

these  wrestlings  ;  and  they  knov/  them,  because  th.\'  are 
really  alive.  'Fhe  life  in  then),  given  by  the  ^/jirit  of  Hfe^ 
struggles  against  the  attacks  o\  disease,  wliich  is  sin,  in  th-  ir 
carnal  n?.tnre  ;  and,  stiuggiing  by  a  strej.glh  far  above 
itself  or  Vv^hat  can  be  exerted  by  a  creature?  it  assuredly 
and  finally  prevails.  It  gives  no  quarter  to  the  least  unholy 
thought,  declares  perpetual  war  against  all  evil  words  and 
deeds,  and  tends  to  reduce  the  whole  man  to  the  love  and  0- 
bedience  of  Jesus  Christ.  His  ''' service  being  perfc6l  free- 
dom," it  seeks  the  utmost  liberty  here,  not  for  an  occasion  to 
tbefesb^  but  for  the  glory  of  God. — AVill  any  man  venture  to 
say  then,  that  thia  holy  Guide  can  lead  to  licentiousness,  or 
that  those,  who  are  led  by  him,  can  be  the  servants  of  sin  t 
Can  the  boldest  mortal  declare,  that  dodlrines,  like  this,  or 
founded  upon  this,  tend  to  diminish  morality,  or  corrupt  the 
principles  of  holiness  either  in  heart  or  life? — If  they  can  insist 
upon  so  strange  a  conclusion,  they  may  also  insist,  that 
the  sun  is  the  cause  of  all  darkness,  and  that  the  icy  regions 
of  the  north  send  forth  the  intolerable  heats,  which  pervade 
the  Arabian  smds.  The  Spirit  of  God  in  the  believer  leads 
him  as  opposite  to  all  sin,  as  the  devil  leads  those,  over 
whom  he  has  power,  in  ways  contrary  to  all  holiness. 

*'  But  may  not  people  be  deceived,  concerning  this  life, 
and  fancy  they  have  it,  Vv^hen  they  know  nothing  of  the  niat- 
ter  r" — Most  undoubtedly.  The  Scripture  mentions  such 
persons  in  the  apostle's  time  ;  and  there,  most  likely,  have 
been  such  at  all  times.  But  this  is  no  argument  against  the 
truth,  hvit  for  it.  Here,  as  in  other  cases,  excchtio  prohat 
regulum:  If  there  was  no  line,  there  could  be  no  deviation. 
It,  however,  strongly  urges,  that  every  professor  should  ex- 
amine and  prove  himself :  And  this  the  real  believer  is  alwavs 
desirous  to  do.  Our  Lord  hath  proposed  a  rule  for  trial  ; 
and  so  have  his  apostles.     He  tcib  us,  coiicerniwg  others,  By 


136  S  P  I  R  I  T     o  r     L  I  P  E. 

tbtir fruits^  ye  soall  kno^vj  tbt^m  :   He  assures   us,   concerning 
ouisclves,  Te  must   be  born   again.     His  apostles  follow   his 
do6liiiie,  and  affirm.   That  //  any  man  have  -not  the  Spirit  of 
C^jrist^  be  is  none  of  bis  ;  and,  that  every  man^  tbat  bath  tbis 
bopc  in  bim,  purifiib  bimsef  even  as  he  is  pure.    Take  these 
^\\l\\  many  other  such  tests,  and  compare  them  together  in 
our  own  bosoms  ;  we  cannot  but 'see  something   correspond- 
ent with  or  contrary  to  them,  arising  within  ourselves.     If 
we  are  sittcere  in  the  inquiry,  we  shall  pray  before  we  make 
it  :   We  shall  pray  to   that  Searcher    of  hearts  to  prove  and 
try^  wb€iber  there  be   any  ivay  of  ^wickednesf  in  us  ;  and  we 
shall  beg,  with  tears,  to  be  led  into  the  'ivay  everlasting.     No 
hypocrite  asks  about  the  matter,  at  least  never  asks   in  this 
secret  earnest  manner  before  (iud.      He  wishes  to  take  it  for 
granted;  and  he   desires,   that   all    men    should   take    it   for 
granted  too.      The  true  Christian  is  never  satisfied,  but  with 
the  testimony  of  his  own  conscience,  the  testimony  of  God's 
word,  and  the  testimony  which  is   laid  down  in  this  sentence 
of  the  apostle.    Hereby  ive  Anow  tbat  he  [God]  abideth  in  tts^ 
by    the  Spirit  'vchich  he  hath  given  us,    i  John  iii.  24.     These 
evidences,  indeed,  may  be  sometimes  clouded;  but  there  will 
ever  be  light  enough  to  distinguish  the  reality  of  their  exist* 
ence;   as,  in  the  shortest  and  darkest  day,  people  can  see  a 
wide  difference  between  that  and  the  night.     Serious  Chris- 
tians will  soon  discern  a   real  believer  under  a    cloud,  even 
though  the  believer  seems  himself  bewildered,  and  ready  to 
give  up  ail  for  lost.     Persons    upon   a  hill  can  see  the  end  of 
the  thickets  beneath  thsm,   while   those  in    the  thickets  are 
puzzled   about  the  way   through,  think   themselves  in  an  im- 
penetrable  forest,   and  cannot  view  a  step  of  their  progress 
bcFore  th^^m.     In    temptations  of  this  kind,   it  is  v/ell  to  ad- 
vise with  established  and  experimental  Christians,  and  espe- 
cially pious  ministers,  who,  if  they  have  not  been  exercised 
in  this   manner  themselves,  must  know  many  that  have,  and 
are  therefore  the  more  able  to  suit  their  instruclions  and  ad- 
vice. 

It  is  an  invincible  argument  of  comfort  to  the  believer, 
who  knows,  that  the  life,  which  he  liveth  in  the  flesh  by  the 
faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  is  an  indefectible  life^  that  he  can  ne- 
ver perish  from  it,  and  that  it  cannot  cease  from  him.  lie  is 
enabled  to  view  it,  not  as  bis  o^jjn  life,  but  as  the  life  of  God 
in  him  ;  and  he,  therefore,  is  the  more  persuaded  oi  iht  per- 
manency of  the  gi't  from  the  perpetuity  of  the  giver.  To 
talk,  as  some  poor  unacquainted  people  do^  of  the  perishing 
nature  of  this  immortal  life,  appears  to  him  (what  it  truly  is) 
first,  the  uttering  an  absurd  error  in  itself,  then,  a  most 
|;loomy  and  uncomfortable  position  for  the  soul  of  the  Chris- 
f:ian,  aiid  in  fine  a  diretSi  blasphemy  against  the  divinity  of  the 


S  P  I  R  I  T     OF     L  I  F  E.  137 

%l(hy  Ghost.  'Tis  readily  granted,  that  such  persons  do  not 
see  these  conset|uences,  or  it  may  be  hoped  Lhey  would  aldior 
them  ;  but  they  follow  as  necessarily  from  their  principles,  as 
the  conclusions  of  the  most  perfeel  S)  llo^lsins  do  from  th^ir 
respective  premises.  Such  proUssois  debase  the  glory  and 
truth  of  God's  promises,  -which  are  as  immutable  as  himscii  ; 
they  endeavour  to  rob  his  people  of  their  strong  cor.solations 
founded  upon  this  immutability  ;   and  they  hold  forth,   in  its 

stead, what  : — a  daik  uncertain  void,  where   no  prosp;j(L'l 

of  stability,  no  ground  of  hope,  can  relieve  the  mind.     'I'hcy 
preposterously  suspend  a   man's  salvation  upon  his  own  will 
and  strength,    when   the  man  of  hiuiself  cannot  so   much  as 
think  one  good    thought  towards  it,   nor  do   (what  Is  less  in- 
deed/^^«  ihis^   because  Christ  says   it  is   lc<2st  of  all   with  rc- 
«pe6\  to  doing )  aught,  to  niuke  Ohd  Lu.ir  bUick  or  ivbiic. — And 
thus  much  for  this  arrogant  presum^  tion  of  man,  which,  wlie- 
ther  it  be  more  impious  or  absurd,  it  is  indeed  diftcult  to  say. 
Our  God,  believer,  is  a  God  unchangeabiy    true.     Thi-  li^e, 
which    he   grants  to  the   soul,   is   strictly  indefeasible  ,   or  it 
could  not  have  been  for  his  glory  to  have  granted  it.    Il  Vv  as 
gi  anted    by   God,   upon  a   covenant  cf   promise    and    power, 
which  stipulates  to  perform,  and  must  perform   (if  its  author 
be    true)   whatever   it  hath   stipulated.     If,   when   we  wore 
dead,  this  Spirit,  of  which  we  are  treating,  graciously  gave 
us  life,  without  any  procurement  of  our  own  ;  surely,  he  \v'ill, 
at  least  with  equal  ease,  preserve  this  life  already  bestowed, 
and  lead  it  on  to   eternal    bliss.     Tiiis    life  is  given  in  and 
through  Christ  for  this  very  end.     He  holds  it  as   the  bead^ 
for  his  people  as  the   members.     Hence,    He  is  the  Mediator 
^J  the  new  tesJamejit^  or  covenant,  that — they  ivhich  are  called 
might  receive  the  promise  of  eternal  inheritance.   The  calling 
of  men  by  God,  is  the  making  them  saints  to  God.     The  Holy 
Spirit  doth  not  sound  in   men's   ears,   as  men  do,  without  cf- 
fe6\,  but  is    a  still  small  voice  in  the   soul,    which    (while  it 
speaks)  works,  new-creates,  and   transforms  to  the  iinage  of 
God^s   dear  Son.     I'he  believer  also  doth  not   receive   this 
grace  of    the   Spirit  of  life,  without   a    mediation  ;  because, 
without  the  Mediator,  the  holy  God  could  have  no  communi- 
on with  defiled  sinners  :   But  he  receives  every  grace,  mercy, 
promise,  and  bb  ssing,   in  Christ,   for  Christ's    sake^  and  for 
the  g'ory  of   Christ.      Hence    the  Spirit  is  called  the   Spirit 
of  Life  IN  Christ  Jesus,    Il.>m.  viii.  2.   as   well  as  //6t"   Spirit 
of  Life  from  God.    Rev.  \\.   11.      We   have   no  access  to  the 
Father  but  b\   Christ  ;   no  communion  cf  the   Spirit,   but  in 
him.     Throu'^^h  his  human  nature  we  approach  to  the  divine; 
and  (what  is  still  morej  through  the  s.iuie  human  nature,  glo- 
rified  in  him,  'we  2.x*t  p.irtakers  of  the  diviue.    /A',  that  is  join- 
ed to  the  Lord^is  out  spirit:  \,  e.  there  is  an  indis^ioluble  u- 


158  S  P  I  R  I  T     cr     L  I  F  K. 

nion  between  Go.}  the  Father  aiid  believers  through  God  the 
Soil.  \vh  )  hcith  assumed  our  nature,  and  who  partook  of  both 
natures  to    become   a  due  Mediator,  a  id   also   by  the   power 
arid  eltcclual  working  of  G(.d  the   Spirit.     Thus  their  life  is 
bid  and  laid  up  i^jith  Christ  in  God  ;  and  because  he  liictb^  they 
live  also.   The  life  is  in  the  Son  tor  them,  Lr';ught  through  the 
Son  ify  the  Spirit  into  ihem,  and  by  it  thc)   a^c  united  to  Fa- 
tht-r.  Son,  and  Spirit,  for  evermore.  John  xiv.  17,    19,   20. 
x\ii.  cii,  &c.  O  what  glory  to  God  from   inan,  what  security 
for  i>ian  to  God,  rest  in  this  glorious  truth  !   The  aposclts  are 
full  of  this  S-ibjecl  in  their  several  epistles  to  the  brethren. 
They   admire  and  bics^  God  for  this    unutterable    benignity 
to  their  souls.   They  seern  transported  at  times  with  the  ex- 
hilarating views  of  the  divine  bt-nilicence  in  Christ  Jesus,  and 
labor  to  express  the  gratitude  they  felt  by  words,  which  after 
all  teem  with  big  thoughts  that  cannot  be  eixpressed.  IiahoIa\ 
*xl\it  manner  of  lev e  I  0  the  depth  !  are  among  the  fervent  ex- 
clamations of  their  spirits,  which  could   neither  fathom   the 
depths  nor  describe  the  manner^  of  what  they  saw  and  enjoy- 
ed.    They  oidy  express  by  these  terms,  that  the  lo%:e  is  alto- 
gether inexpressible.   In  lieaven,  doubtless,   their  language  is 
the  same  ;  for  the  farther  they  see  into  what  is  infnitc^  and 
the  move  they  enjoy  of  what  is  eternal ;  the  wonder,  the  love, 
the  transport,  must  increase  upon   them,  and  (in  a  devotion 
which  mere  mort..iS  cannot  feel)  entirely  rapt  them  up  in  the 
sublimity  of  praise.   The   highest  praise  is  even    then  (.  s  it 
Were)  but    duiiib,  in   declari]«.g   the   goodness  or  the  glory  of 
the  Lord  :   The  loudest  acclamation  oi  heaven  is  but  like  the 
siiiiest  silence,  when  that  acclamation   attemps  to  utter  the 
might)/  majesty  of  (yod.   It  can  sing  almost  nothing.   To  tr.is 
pui  pose,  iije    psalmist   no  i(S3  justly,  than    beautiiully,,  says.. 
Praise  is  silent  j or  ihee,  0  uoa^  in  Zion,   Ps.  ixv.  i.    It  can- 
not  declare  his   glory   it  cannot   e:.picss  how  n;uch  H">  is  to- 
be   praised.   As  the   ico.ix.   pungent  grief  stui  s   the    iacuiiies 
a;:d  makes   men  duiub  ;  so  this  height  of  God's  doe  praise, 
when  faith  cari   look  up  to  it,  absorbs   all  human  and  ange.ic 
]owe»s.  ard  vvoulu  leave  the  c«caluies,  like  D-ariel  and  some 
rthtiS,  qb;ie    GVLiwheiiitd    v\  iih    the    sense  of  iis    n'ajt^^'y, 
(Dan.  X.  8.  Rev.  :.  17.   Lzck.  1.  2c.;  did  r.ot  tie  Spnlt  oj  Life 
from   God  go   f^^nh  to   suppoil    theiii. — Happy   believei  1   ail 
this  blessedness,  all  tliis  tnunvph  and  transp(.rt.  shall  one  day 
be  thine  !   Thou  shait  be  fitted  for  this  work  \  as  this  woik  is 
already   prej^ared  for   thee.   Doth  not  thy  heart  bur 71  ijcithin 
thee  in  the  foresight,  or  rather  from  the  foretaste,  of  this  de- 
lightful portion,  or  this  everlasti;ig  joy,  with  which  //6c  stran- 
ger intermeddleth  not  1  Satan  cannot  touch  it,  the  world  can- 
not take  it  av/ay  ;  no,  nor  even  thy  contemptible  flesh  detain 
thee  from  it.  This  thou  shait   drop  as  a  fdtby  garment,  and 


S  P  I  R  I  T     o  r     L  I  F  F.  13^ 

the  Others  shall  be  removed  far  away.  Then  shalt  thou  be  all 
li  'j  ill  this  3.)lrit  of  li.e,  all  aj];i\rity  oy  hl'^  po\v-jr,  all  1  )/j  0/ 
his  gjjdness,  all  purity  by  his  holiiicss,  all  joy  by  his  blessiii »-. 
Surrounded  by  inaumsrablo  rniilioas  oF  happy  spirits,  like 
thyself  ;  grief,  corruption,  and  sin,  thou  shait  cje  no  more. 
Fitted  for  God,  thou  shall  ^ujoy  G.)d.  One  with  Christ,  th  >ii 
shalt  be  like  hiin.  Fhj  F  ithcr.  Son,  and  Spirit,  will  c^^\- 
muiie  with  thee  through  thj  huiuari  nature  of  thv  Saviour, 
and  impart  all,  what  thju  wilt  be  able  to  receive  of,  tiie  vast- 
ncs3  of  glory.  Til  )u  wilt  then  know,  wiiatcvcr  is  to  be  k.iovva 
by  the  purified  intellect  of  man,  concerning  the  trinity  in  uni- 
ty, the  unity  in  trinity,  the  incarnation  of  the  Messiah,  anl 
all  the  otlier  a6ls  and  intentions  of  the  covenant  of  truth. 
The  veil  of  ignorance,  which  thou  hast  ofteiv  deplored,  toge- 
ther with  sin  its  cause,  shall  entirely  be  done  away.  PLvery 
faculty  shall  be  dilated  with  the  love  of  God,  and  every  ca- 
pacity filled  with  his  joy.  O  couldst  thou  see  the  hi<'h  en- 
ployment  of  the  blest,  couldst  thou  conceive  but  the  half  of 
their  glory  ;  this  dull  poor  life  below  would  appear  doubly  dull 
and  disgusting,  and  thy  soul  v/oiild  be  c-ying  out  in  a  rapture, 
^'  Come^  Lord  Jesus  /  come  quickly  1  H:jstcn.,  my  bclo-ocd^  and 
'my  friend!  My  soul  panteth  for  thee  ;  yea,  my  heart  and  mv 
flesh,  the  meanest  faculty  that  I  have  for  thee,  even  for  thee, 
the  LIVING  God  !"  When  a  great  philosopher  first  preached 
the  immortality  of  the  soul ;  and  from  reason  asserted  that  there 
must  be  a  better  world  for  the  spirits  of  men  than  this  v/e  live 
on ;  two  of  his  hearers  went  away  and  put  an  end  to  their  mor- 
tal lives,  in  order  (as  they  hoped)  to  enjoy  it.  Though  their 
practice  was  wrong  ;  yet  how  many,  who  are  called  Christi- 
ans, will  ihQiv fervor  condemn  1  If  these  heathens  could  not 
endure  to  live  upon  earth  from  the  bare  notion  of  an  immor- 
tal joy  ;  O  what  hearts  have  we,  that  we  sliould  cling  so  clo ^3 
to  the  earth,  and  b::  ready  to  sacrifice  almost  our  very  sou's 
to  obtain  but  a  small  particle  of  it ;  even  wh:n  life  and  im- 
mortality are,  in  a  majiner,  laid  open  to  our  vievv'by  the  g.o- 
pel  !  Old  Mkn,  what  say  ye  to  th's  ?  Ye,  who  are  tread' ng 
quick  towards  the  grave,  and  yet  have  lingering  hearts  for 
the  world?  Can  ye  rejoice  to  die;  not  because  death  brin:;s 
you  to  the  end  of  pain,  but  to  the  cnl  o'"  sin,  and  to  the  be- 
ginning of  life  eternal?  ^' Gray  hairs  (;a;'s  an  ingenious 
phvsician)  are  church-yard  flov/cis,  vv'hich  may  serve  to  them 
th  .t  bear  them,  instead  of  passing  bells,  to  give  them  certain 
notice,  whither  they  are  suddenly  golng."j"  These  hang  a- 
bout  ynur  ears  :  Have  thev  s^mnded  thus  in  your  cars;  and 
do  ye  nnd  pleasure  in  the  sound?  O  what  an  honorable  ex- 
ample are  you  privileged  to  give   among  men,  if  grace  be  in 

t  ^'M.i'm'i  portrait  of  old  ags,"^.  1 1-3.  3u  Edit. 


I40  S  P  I  R  I  T     o  r.     L  I  F  E. 

your    hearts,   and   glory    in    your    eye?    You  may  respec- 
ively   say  with   good   old   Polycrap^   yet  without   his   parti- 
cular trial,  *"'  I  have   served  for    so  many  or  so  many  years, 
[hi    served,    as   he    told   the   Roman    proconsul,    eighty  six 
yea^-s]  ray  good  master  Christ ;   and  he  hath  ever  been  kind  to 
me:   And  shall  I  forsake  him  now?"   Yor  are  upon  the  thres- 
hold of  heaven,  and  may  almost  hear  the  melodies  of  the  blest : 
Surely  the  din  and  confusion  of  the  world  can  never  be  enter- 
taining to  you.      What  is  earthly  clamor  to  those  who  live  a- 
bove  it  ? —  the  muttering  of  slaves  in  a  mine,  which  free  men 
in  dav-light  and  good  air,  vv'hen  they  hear  it,  only  commise- 
rate or   contemn.     Come  then,  old  believer,   some  few  steps- 
riiOi  e  ;   and  all  the  life  of  heaven  is  yours.      Commit  your  gray 
hairs  to  Him,  who  hatli  said,  that  not  one   of  them  shall  per- 
ish.     Audit  not  one  of  these   shall  perish;   how  much   less 
the' least    of  your  dearer    conserns,    the  hopes   of  your  soul, 
the  promise  of  a  mansion  in  heaven  I   Cheer  up,  therefore,  and 
sav,  withan  aged  believer  like  thyself,  ""  Though  my  heart  and 
m'\' jiesh'fail ;  iJiough   all  the   strength  of  my  nature  be  gone 
and  the  verv  gi'jsshopper  is  a  burden  ;  yet  God  is  the  strength 
ef  my  heart,  and  my  portion  for  ever  !   1  trust  in  the  Antient 
OF  JJays,  to  luboin  all  my  days  are  but  few^  as  to  myself  ihty 
are  evil ;  and  he  shall  re^ie^jo  my  yoW-h  as  the  eagle's  and  give 
me   that   immortal    bloom,    which    shall   glow   brighter    and 
b:!g"iter  throLi;^hout  eternity!    Behold,  Lord,  thy  servant : 
Be  it  uiito  ^\t  accordin:;  to  thy  vvordl" — 3ear  old  friend;   it 
shil^beso;    thou  shalt  hive    this  cordial,  and  more.     Wait 
fo    thy  Lord  ;   and  be^  that  ivill  come,  shall  come    and  will  not 
tan  >'.'     He  will  replenish  thee  with  eternal  youth  ;  and  thou 
sliak   remember  thy  cares    and  thy  infirmities  no   more  fpr 
ever. 


.x;v:c3>:^:^; 


WATER     OF     LIFE. 


IFE  hatli  already  been  considered  as  an  attribute  of  the 
....^  Holy  Spirit,  and  consequently  as  a  proof  of  his  divinity. 
He  is  the  Spirit  of  life  to  impart  life,  and  the  water  of  life  to 
flourish  it  when  imparted.  When  and  where  this  Spirit 
breathik.  this  water ^^-ru J.*  Or,  in  other  words,  to  whomso- 
ever the  Holy  Ghost  coTTfffjj  life.  He  immediately  so  possesses 
tlie  soul,  as  to  maintain  it  continually,  finally,  eternally.  It 
has  been  repeated,  that  God  uses  this  emblematic  language 


L 


WATER     OF    L  I  F  E.  141 

lil  order  to  illustrate,  from  the  natural  obje6ls  around  us,  the 
necessity,  the  riches,  and  (in  many  respecls)  the  manner  of 
his  grace.  He  hath  employed  the  emblem  of  warer  for  that 
end,  and  thereby  shews  us,  that  this  fluid  is  not  more  neces* 
sary  to  the  subsistence  of  the  material,  than  his  Holy  Spirit 
is  to  the  spiritual  or  intcHe;Slual  world.  And,  hence,  he  is 
most  admirably  denominated  (what  the  Godhead  alone  could 
have  denominated  him)  the  living  Watcr^  and  IVaUr  of  iJfc, 
or  Lives. 

Every  body  knows,  that  water  is  a  simple  and  transparent 
fluid,  which  enters  into  the  composition  of  all  matter,  at 
least  all  the  matter  of  our  system.  There  is  no  sut^staiicc, 
whether  animal,  vegetable,  or  mineral,  without  it.  The  ac- 
cretions of  the  hardest  substances,  probably  even  of  precicut 
stones  which  are  as  hard  as  any,  are  formed  by  this  univer- 
sal principle,  and  poislbly  derive  a  proportional  p'jrfe»5lioi1 
from  its  purity.  Every  being,  which  has  a  proper  life,  lives 
by  it;  and,  whatever  grows,  through  it  receives  its  grovv'tii. 
When  they  decay,  they  return  for  the  most  part  to  water, 
not  excepting  the  driest  substances,  as  to  one  of  their  origi- 
nal principles.  We  have  no  fluid  so  subtle  and  penetrating, 
excepting  fire  :  It  enters  into  the  minutest  particles  and 
pores  of  matter,  into  the  finest  vessels  of  animals,  and  ths 
smallest  tubes  of  plants.  It  will  pierce  through  substances, 
which  detain  air  itself.  And,  wherever  it  enters  according 
to  the  (economy  of  providence,  it  promotes,  sustains,  and  in- 
creases life;  preserves  all  material  natures  in  their  proper 
classes  of  being;  and  is  one  of  the  first  principles  in  the  fa- 
bric and  constitution  of  the  world.  Whether,  in  short,  it  be 
considered,  as  produ6live  of  health  to  animal  and  vegetable 
being,  as  requisite  to  the  beauty  and  existence  of  the  earth,  or 
as  the  great  mechanic  power,  by  which  God  works  in  the  sus- 
tentation  and  action  of  the  whole  universe  ;  we  may  perceive 
a  noble  propriety  in  the  se7uible  image  for  a  representation 
of   the  spiritual  agency,  and  divinity,    of   the  Holy  GiiosT. 

The  necessity  and  use  of  this  admirable  fluid  in  all  things, 
impressed  some  antient  philosophers  with  a  notion,  that  it 
was  the  first  principle  of  nniversal  life,  and  that  therefore 
(as  they  had  not  then  conceived  the  idea  of  a  universal  mind) 
it  must  be  God,  or  the  source  of  the  Gods.* 

T 

*  Cicero^  in  his  first  book  de  naturd  Deorurriy  says,  that  Tiialcs 
the  Milesian  was  the  first  who  asserted,  that  '•  God  was  that  mind^ 
who  formed  all  things  out  of  water  ;"  but  he  pres-ntly  ndch,  that 
Anaxagoras  was  the  first  who  affirmed,  that  the  design  and  frame  of 
all  things  was  planned  and  formed  by  the  power  and  reason  of  i^n 
infinite  mind.  The  honor,  however,  is  generally  attrilnitcd  to  the 
latter,  who  was  surnamed  Nvf,  or  mind,  upoii  th©  doctrine. 


142  WATER    OF    LIP  E. 

At  the  creation  of  the  world,  the  Spirit  of  God  movcd^  or 
br.)o:led  j'  upa:i  ids  fact'  of  the  waters^  iiigenerating  life  with 
this  flaid  into  all  the  niatciial  substances  as  they  were  creat- 
ed, and  diffusing  the  iluid  itself  through  all  the  members  of 
this  terrestrial  iVame,  for  the  support  of  the  life  bestowed.  In 
this  first  great  instance  he  a6led  by  water  for  the  sustenance 
o^  all  things,  declaring  upon  fail,  that,  without  his  express 
energy,  it  liad  no  power  of  its  own  to  support  the  natural  be- 
ing of  things,  and  declaring  also  in  the  emblem  of  that  facl, 
that  the  sr^iritaal  life  of  men  is  by  his  infusion,  and  that  it 
can  by  r.o  means  subsist  without  him. 

To  explain  and  enforce  th':s  important  truth,  there  are  ma- 
ny rites  and  declaratio  18,  concerning  the  use  of  water,,  both 
in  the  Old  and  New  Testamenis.  These  all  refer  to  the  a- 
gency  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and,  at  the  same  time,  shew,  tor 
the  ir.ost  part,  that  this  agency  and  its  blessings,  result  only 
ih/<'Ugh  the  great  R.edeeiuer. 

It  vv^s  not  by  cliance  that  the  people  of  Israel^  after  their 
departure  from  Egypt^  were  led  to  Repkidim^  inhere  tbcrs 
was  no  vjatcr  for  tbem  to  drink.  Exodus  xvii.  God  hira- 
s'  ]''  led  them  thither,  to  teach  believers  among  them,  and  be- 
ii'-\  i.rs  T.s'}  among  us,  a  lesson  of  his  grace y  as  well  as  of  hia 
po'ooer.  Mosts^  upon  their  complaint  of  thirst,  was  to  go  on  be- 
fore the  people,  and  with  the  rod  of  authority,  which  God  had 
given  hiiii,  Avas  commanded  to  smite  a  gi*eat  rock  which  for- 
n.ed  a  part  of  the  mountain  in  liorcb.  It  was  very  impro- 
bable to  human  reason,  that  a  dry  impenetrable  substance,  as 
a  rock  is,  shauld  afford  the  fluid  of  water  at  all,  and  much 
less  a  suiKcient  quantity  for  the  lasting  refreshment  oi'  so  ma- 
ny hundred  thousand  people  :  ^\3iX.  Moses  was  too  wise  to  rea- 
son upon  God's  revelation  :  He  obeyed  it  in  faith.  Beboid 
(says  tlui  Lordj  I  ^ill  stand  before  tbee  there  upon  the  rock. 
In  this  and  in  the  xx  chapter  of  Numbers^  where  the  facl  is 
repeated  With  other  particulars  ;  we  find,  that  the  water  came 
cut  abundantly^  and  supplied  the  whole  congregation. — We 
are  not  left  to  guess  at  the  instruction  meant  by  this  wonder- 
lul  transacllon  :  The  Scripture  is  full  upon  the  subject.  Th« 
rock  (says  the  apostle)  nuas  Christ  :  And  Christ,  to  the  eye 
of  reason,  when  he  appeared  in  the  flesh,  was  just  as  U'.jiikely 
to  afiord  all  the  benctits  of  salvation,  as  the  rock  in  Horeb 
was.  at  the  stroke  of  a  stick,  to  send  forth  water.  So  thought 
the  Jjvvs  when  they  saw  him  ;  and  so  think  all  unbelieving 
iientiles  ;   While  both  of  them,  without  meaninr-^  it,  onlv  ful- 

t  The  antient  heathens  had  many  obscure  traditions  both  con- 
cerning the  cosmogony  and  the  state  of  man  before  mkI  about  the 
times  of  the  iiood.  Thus,  according  to  Dr.  Thomas  GaU^  ruod  Mo- 
scs.,  p^r  Spiiutum,  qui  aijius.  fuvcbat^  t:xpre::sity  Egypt:! /'ffr  Z^>!»  <^-- 
••  A'y/i/.'ftr?/,  Not.  in  JambL  be6\.  viii.  c.  iii. 


WATER     or    LIFE.  143 

£1  thereby    the   Scriptures  concernitig  h"rn.     Pie  was  a  man 
of  iorro'yjos^  and,  to  human  view,  barren  eve.i  of  comfort  for 
himself.      Yet  it  pleased  the  Ljrd  to  smite  him  ;  and,  at  his 
smiting,  forthwith  issued  out   tiie  wat'jrofli'e   everlasting^. 
John  iv.  14.     He  gwcs  tbh  iivi'ig  ^lo^rter.     If 'in*  'Utin  thirst 
(says  he,j  /tt  t)iin  come  unto  mc  ci -id drink.      Hribjc  h^Ucvctb 
on  me^  as  tbe  Scripture  bath  said',  out  of  bis  bellv  shall  Hoiv  ri- 
vers of  living  '.ijater.     But  tbis  spake  be  of  the  Spirit,  '-Ji^i':,  h 
thcy^  that  believe  on  bim^  should  receive  ;  for  the  H.-ily  Gh  st 
«u>/7j  not  yet  given^   because  that  Jesus  u'*;/  not  yet  glorified. 
John  vii.  37,  &c.   God  ivas  in  Chris:  ;  and  this  he  emblerna- 
tically  declared,  when  he  said  to  Mnses^  Behold^  take  notice, 
I  luill  sujud  before  tbee  there  upon  tbc  rock.     The  rock  wis 
nothing  in  itself  to  this  purpose,  and  could  h  ive   yielded  no- 
thing without  God:  Nor  could  Christ  luxe  redeemed  us  by  'lis 
human    nature  alone  ;  for  he  cjuid  not  have    meri*^^e  I  bai  by 
the  divine."^  When   this  human   nature  was  smitten  for   the 
transgressions  of  bis  people  ;   tlien  came  forth,  even  with  ji,';?- 
sible  demonstration,  tiie  Spirit  of  God  from  this  jtsus.     It 
was  however  the   same  Spirit,  which,  in  all  past  ages,  had 
proceeded   from  him,  and   even  then  had  spiritually   accom- 
plished his  own  office  to  believers  iii  those  types,  which  pro- 
claimed the    work    and   sufferings   of  the  Redeemer,   till  he 
should  appear  in  the  world.     The  Spirit  operated  in  virtue 
of  that  eternal  covenant,  by  which  Jesus  was  also  consider- 
ed as  a  Lamb  already  slain  from  tbe  foundation  of  the  ^orld, 
— The   whole  congregation   of  Israel  was   replenished   from 
the  water  out  of  the  rock  ;  and   so  is  the  whole  church  of 
God  by  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  jfesus:  And  this,  by  the 
way,  affords  the    reason  why  he  is  called  so  often  the  Spirit 
of  Christ.,  as  well  as  the  Spirit  of  God. 

It  was  the  same  lesson,  which  was  taught  by  the  standing 
rite,  recorded  in  Lev.  xiv.  4.  If  a  man  had  been  healed  of  the 
laprosy^  the  mode  of  cleansing  was,  that  the  priest  should  go 
forth  to  him  out  of  tbe  camp,  and  command  two  clean  living 
birds  to  be  taken  for  the  person,  with  cedar-wood,  and  scar- 
let (or  scarlet-wool  or  silk)  and  hyssop.  One  of  the  birds  was 
to  be  killed  in  an  earthen  vessel,  over  running  water  (Heb. 
living  ivater  or  water  of  lives  ;J  and  the  other  bird  was  to  be 
dip^)ed,  with  the  cedar,  the  scarlet,  and  the  hyssop,  in  the 
blood  of  the  bird,  which  was  killed  over  this  running  water. 
The  man  v;as  then  to  be  sprinkled  seven  times  witli  the 
blo'id ;  in  consequence  of  which  he  v/as  pronounced  clean, 
and  the  living  bird  was  let  loose  into  the  open  field. — So  the 
redeemed  of  the  Lord  have  Christ  for  tlieir  high  priest,  who 
Came  to  them  in  their   pollution,  and    v/hcn  cuct   out   of  tbc 

*  Si&  Vol.  I.  p.   103,  SiC. 


144  W  A  T  E  R    OF    LIFE. 

camp  of  GccJ.  He  is  also  their  sacrifice  itself.  His  diving 
nacure,  represented  by  that  aerial  creature  the  bird,  was  pla- 
ced in  our  human  nature,  under  the  well-known  image  of  an 
earthen  vessel^  and,  in  it,  suffered  for  their  sins.  Out  of  hig 
side  come  forth  Mood  and  ivater^  the  two  testimonials  of 
cleansing.  As  the  bird  was  killed  over  or  upon  the  living  or 
running  water  ;  so  Christ  offered  bhnself  ihrovgh  the  Eter- 
nal Spirit,  which  that  water  signified,  unto  God,  ^indpour- 
etb  out  that  Spirit  upon  liis  people,  when  He  sprinkleib  them 
with  his  blood.  The  sprinkling,  reiterated  seven  times,  de- 
notes the  perfe6l  purihcation  by  that  blood.  The  living  bird 
also  represents,  under  another  form,  the  Lord  fesus.  This 
was  to  be  dipped  in  blood,  and  to  rise  from  it,  and  to;^;  away. 
So  Christ  Vvas  buried,  and  rose  again,  and  ig  now  ascended 
into  heaven,  having  obtained  eternal  redemption  ior  h.\s  peo- 
ple. Through  him,  the  Spirit  of  life  became  the  water  of  lifcL 
for  them,  all-efficacious  to  cleanse  and  to  replenish  for  ever-r 
inore. 

IF  we  go  through  the  whole  ceremonial  of  the  law,  we 
shall  find  the   application  of  water  made  in  a  variety  of  in- 
stances, which  were  appointed  to  shadow  forth  the  necessa- 
ry and  illustrious  agency  of  the  Spirit  of  God.     The  priests 
were  to  be  outwardly  washed  with  water,  in  sign  of  their  in- 
ward purification,  and  not   from   a  political  motive  of  mere 
cleanliness  (as   some  authors   have  very  unscripturally  sup- 
posed ;)  and,  in  allusion  to  this,  the  great  expounder  of  the 
Jewish  ritual   recommends  to  believers,  that  t/beir  bodies  be 
iKiashed  'i^iih  pure  u'<7rrr,  by  which  ha  means,  that  their  out- 
T^ard  life   and  conversation  should  be  purified  from  the  filth 
of  sin,  as  well  as   their  hearts  be  sprinkled  from  an  evil  con- 
science. Heb.  X.  zi,   Exod.  xxix.  4.   Lev.  viii.   6.   Men    are 
not  truly    qualified  to  minister  in  holy  things    without   the 
%:aiLr  of  lije,  whatever  be  their  parts  or  learning;    and  no- 
thing, done  for  God,  can  be  holy,  but  by  its  purif  cation.  Lev. 
viii.  7.     It  was   necessary  even  for    Christ   himself,  as   the 
great  High-Priest  of  our  profession,  to  off'er  himself  with  this 
•water,  or  the   eternal  Spirit  so  called  ;    as  was  prefigured 
by  the   sacrifice  of  the  red  heifer,  whose  ashes  were  to  be 
iningled  with  water,  and  kept  for  the  church,  as  Si'ioater  of  se- 
paration ^  or  purification  for  sin.     Numb.  xix.   Thus  Christ 
came/^y  water  ;  not  only  in  his  own  innocencehyxx.  in  the  pow- 
er of  the  Spirit  ;  and  also  by  blood,  shedding  his  own  life  for 
the  lives  of  his  redeemed.     His  merit  was  confirmed  by  the 
Holy  S|)irit,  and  is  applied  by  liim  to  all  the  people  of  God. 
This  the  apostle  seems  to  mean  in  1  John  v.  7,  8.  by  the  three 
that  bear  witness  in  heaven,  and  the  three  that  bear  witness  on 
earth ;  the  former  giving   spiritual  testimony,   the  latter   a 
sensible  one,   that  thy  woik  of  salvation  is  accomplished  by 


W  A  T  E  R     o  F     L  I  F  E.  145 

Christ,  The  three  (ii\  Inc  persons  bear  wiintfls  to  bellcveri 
coiicerning  Christ  ;  and  this  is  cu!iei.l  iL<;  'ujithtss  cf  Cod^ 
>vliich  every  bdievtr  bath  in  bunself:  verges  9,  10.  T-iie  S;i- 
rit  of  the  believer  vvinesscs  to  the  truth  01  what  God  reveais, 
seititig  to  bis  seal  that  God  is  truc^  respecling  tlie  eihcacy  o^ 
tbe  water  and  tbe  bloody  or,  in  other  v.ords,  ot  the  Spirit  and, 
Cbristy  in  their  engagements  of  salvation.  And  tbcse  tLreCx 
pamely,  the  believer's  spirit y  this  ivcfttr^  and  this  biood^  at^rcc 
in  one  ;  j.  e.  they  all  harmonise  and  agree  together  in  one 
object^  and  in  one  great  end  TiwA  purpose  fully  accomplisiied 
for  that  obje6l.  Thus  (we  may  repeat  the  heavenly  tiulh) 
Christ  came  not  by  ivaier  only^  to  san6lify  by  the  Spirit,  bu$ 
f>y  'iuaier  and  bloody  i.  e.  by  the  united  eflicacy  of  bis  o^ivn  a- 
tonement  and  of  the  Spirit^s  purification  and  blessing. 

Nothing  was  clean  or  purified  to  the  Lord,  but  by  tliis  em- 
blematic water  of  separation.  The  spoils  taken  from  the  ene- 
my underwent  this  ceremonial  of  purification.  Numb.  xxxi. 
23.  And  this  was  to  declare  to  believers,  that  all  vielory 
over  sin  was  to  be  cfire6led  by  and  ascribed  to  the  Spirit 
of  God,  working  in  them  through  the  great  Mediator. — 
For  this  reason,  Christ  is  said  to  be  witb  bis  people  aiways^ 
even  to  tbe  end ;  not  in  his  corporal  presence,  or  human  na- 
ture, for  that  is  ascended  into  tbe  bolicst  till  the  time  of  res- 
titution ;  but  in  the  Spirit,  who  is  one  v/ith  him  and  with 
the  Father,  and  who,  dwelling  in  his  people,  fulfills  the 
Scriptu,re,  that  God  is  in  them  of  a  truth.  In  a  word, 
there  was  a  constant  use  of  water  in  the  Mosaic  ritual, 
in  order  to  shew  the  Jews,  and  to  shew  us  by  them,  that  the 
grace  of  sanctification  and  all  its  blessings  must  be  derived, 
through  Christ,  from  the  Holy  Ghost.  Considered  in  this 
view,  they  do  exhibit  m?iuy  important  truths,  which,  as  other 
parts  of  Scripti^re  prove,  they  were  intended  to  exhibit; 
whereas,  without  this  consideration,  they  dwindle  into  insig- 
nificant Ceremonies,  unworthy  of  a  divine  institution,  and 
have  cither  no  meaninr;-  at  all,  or  no  ir.eauing  of  importance 
to  any  man.  And  this  result'  would  contratlicl  a  universal 
rule,  laid  down  concerning  the  Eible,  tliat  ALL  Scriptl'RE 
is  given  by  inspiration  of  God^  and  is  prr.fiuible  for  doctrine ^ 
for  reproof  for  correction^  for  Instruction  in  righteousness* 
0,  Tim.  iii.  16. 

If  we  turn  to  the  Christian  dlsjiensation,  water,  as  the 
emblem  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  agency,  is  appointed  in  one  of  thj 
two  sacraments  to  sip^nify,  thai  our  introduction  to  a  new 
Jife,  and  to  the  company  of  those  who  have  obtained  this 
life  here  and  hereafter,  is  by  his  renovating  power  alone. 
Except  a  man  be  Iwrn  of  water  (says  our  Lord,  employing  the 
long-accusiomed  emblem)  and  of  the  SlUKIT  (explaining  di- 
^c(^\ly  what  the  emblem  sig-iified}  be  cannot;  enter  iiUo  tbe 


146  W  A  T  E  R     o  F    L  I  F  E. 

kingdom  of  God »^'^  John  iii.  5.  Tht  siiiiplt^  element  alone  is 
noliiiiiti.  ill  this  res,);;ct,  not  even  the  whole  world  of  waters, 
couiu  Liiey  be  thrown  upon  a  man,  or  were  he  plunged  into 
th-Ni,.  Of  Lhemselves,  they  could  sooner  wash  the  Ethtoiuan 
-white,  than  purify  one  sin.  If  they  had  a  voice,  they  would 
talvo  up  the  words  in  yob  ;  and  the  depth  v)Ould  say^  It  is  not 
in  me  ;  and  the  jc^,  /;  is  not  ivith  me-  Job.  xxviii.  14.  God 
U'uierstandetb  ihe  ivaj  thereof  end  he  know^eth  the  place  there- 
of V.  '^3  ;  It  is  from  Him  aione,  that  there  is  any  blessing  or 
use  ill  tiie  creatures.  He  only  makes  his  ordinances  effec- 
tual, and  adds  to  the  outward  sign  the  thing  signified  there- 
by. To  be  truly  born  of  water,  is  indeed  to  be  born  of  the 
ijpiilt :  In  other  words,  the  Spirit  of  God  will  operate  upon 
the  believing  soul,  as  water  atls  in  the  frame  and  composi- 
tion of  all  material  things.  These  cannot  live,  nor  increase, 
nor  be  pure,  without  that  salutary  fluid;  nor  can  the  Chris- 
tian be  in  reality  a  Christian,  nor  put  forth  one  a6l  of  the  tru- 
ly Christian  life,  but  by  the  life  and  agency  of  the  Spirit  of 
God.  All  substances  are  dry  and  dead,  when  deprived  of 
elementary  water:  And  so  are  all  souls,  as  dead  to  God  as 
souls  can  be,  and  as  evil  spirits  are,  without  the  possession 
and  support  of  this  "Mater  of  lifl-.X 

The  Vi^holc  office  of  the  divine  Spirit,  under  this  emblem  of 
living  \vater^  turns  upon  these  two  points  of  Life  and  Puki- 
riCATioN,  throughout  the  Bible.  In  fa6l,  these  two  are  but 
one  ;  for,  purity  being  the  true  life  of  spirits,  purification  is 
notliing  more  than  the  cofitinuance,  increase^  or  support^  of 
ihe  spiritual  life  bestowed.  AVhen  a  being  continues  to  live, 
it  is  not  by  the  adhlhition  of  another  life,  but  by  the  support  of 
the  same  life.     In  like  manner,  the  soul,  being  made  aiive  by 

t  Astlie  Spirit  of  Life  presen-es  t'ne  faithful,  so  he  is  the  breath 
of  tlie  Lord  to  destroy  tl.e  ungodly.  The  same  v.ater,  which 
<'.ro\vi»ed  the  v.crld,  sustaircd  the  ark,  or  church,  from  destruction. 
It  is  a  just  observation  of  the  learned  Mr.  Brxant^  who,  speaking  of 
this  ark.  says  ;  "  It  was  of  such  a  inocxi  and  construction  as  plainly 
iiUiicated,  that  it  wi'.s  never  designed  to  be  managed,  or  directed  by 
the  hands  of  men.  And  it  seems  to  have  been  the  purpose  ot  i  10- 
vidence  throu:i;hout,  to  signiiy  to  those  'who  were  savedy  i.s  veil  as  to 
their  latest  j)o:>tc;-itjy  ilvit.  their  preservation  wasnot?«c«;'  degree  ef- 
fi.'^^rted  by  human  means."  Ana',  »f  ant.  myth.  Vol.  ii.  p.  1^7.  The 
Ciiristian  reader  v.lll  anticipate  .lUy  rctle;:Lions,  how  exaclly  this 
emblem  corr£;sponds  with  the  state  of  the  church  in  ah  a.^es. 

\  Wiien  man  fell  from  God,  he  lost  this  ivaler^  and  so  became 
parcJicd grourid,  a  reildsrncss^  ^cc.  Hence  it  was,  that  when  believers 
1.1  the  Old  Testament  acknowledged  their  fall  and  loss  of  Clod's 
presence,  they  poured  out  wuter  before  him  in  humiliation  and 
conT.-sssion  of  soul,  acknowledging  thereby,  that  they  •w^jjc  lost  and 
uiidonc  without  his  mercy.  See  1  Sum.  vii.  6.  2  Sam.  xiv.  H.         s 


WATER    OF    L  I  F  E.  147 

ihe  agency  of  the  Spirit,  doth  not  receive  new  and  new  life 
(roiii  time  to  time,  but  a  niuiatenahce  of  the  same  spiiitual 
life  by  the  Spirit's  power.  Tiius,  a  soul,  once  born  of  God, 
or  of  the  S.jirit  who  is  God,  can  never  die  ac^ain,  unless  the 
IJeing  of  whom  it  is  born,  can  die,  or  should  withdraw  the 
support  of  his  life,  which  he  hath  most  positively  declared  he 
will  not.  Hence,  those  people,  who  talk  of  the  defedibility 
of  grace,  approach  so  nearly  to  chargiiv^  the  almigiT*;v  Spirit 
v/ith  impotence  or  falsbood,  that  tht-y  ought  to  consider  well, 
liow  closely  they  advance  to  indirect  bUsphem\  against  him. 
It  is  not  sufierable  among  men  to  pul>lis!i  any  thing,  which  af- 
fe<5ls  the  honour  and  dignity  of  a  king;  and  how  far  the 
truth  and  majesty  of  Jebovub  can  be  safely  questioned  by 
poor  mortals,  it  seems  of  much  importance  to  them  that  they 
should  inquiie. 

In  the  law  (as  we  have  said)  there  was  no  sacrifice  for  sin 
without  some  use  of  water,      'i'liis  points  out  tons,   tliat,  as 
tlie  Spirit  never  ails  but  in  and    through  Christ  with  respe.l 
to  his  people,  so  Christ  is  never  received  but  by  and  with  the 
ir,fluences  of  the  Spirit.     They  are  as  undivided  in  their  ope- 
rations, as  in  their  essence.     A  man  cannot  truly  believe  in 
Christ,  but  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost :   Nor  can  a  man 
have  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  doth    not  truly  believe  in  Christ. 
There  is  a  reciprocity  in  the   two  divine  oiTices,  which   illus- 
trates and  magnifies  both,  and  for  which,  respeclin,^  the  di- 
vine glory,  they  were  covenanted  and  undertaken.     Christ  is 
the  Fountain  of  Lift  ;  and    the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  JVuter  of 
Life  from  that  Fountain,     Christ  is  also  called  the  Fountain 
of  Lsracl^  because  the  Water  of  Life  flows  from    him  only  to 
his  Israel^  or  true  and  spiritual   peojde.     Christ   is  likewise 
termed  a  Fountain  sealed,  a  Fountain  of  p-jrdens.  a  Fountain 
opened  to  the  house  of  D:rjid^  and  to  the  inbabitants  of  ferusa- 
ieni ;  because  none  but   the   S;)irit    of   (}od  can   unseal    this 
lountain,  and  impart  the  Water  of  Life  froiu  it  ;   because  it 
is  not  a  common  spring,  but  stands  in  God's  garden  or  church; 
and  becaiisti  oj^ly  the  house  or  family  of  the  spiritual  David^ 
i.  e.  t'll  iruc  believers,  who  are  citizens  of  the  heavenly  JcrU' 
saiem^  are   privileged  to  draw   from    it.       As   Christ   cannot 
be    a    dry    fountain,     or     be     without    water    io\'    his    peo- 
ple;  so  ilje  Spirit,  as  the  water  cf  life,  flows  only  to  them 
through  that  iountain.     The  humanity  of  our  great  ilcdeemer 
33  the  grand  nexus  or  bond   by  which    we  are  united  to  him» 
:ir.d    in  him  to  the  Spirit,  and  through  the  Spirit  to  the  Fa- 
ther.    Hence  the   life  of  believers  is  said  to  be  from  Christy 
who  js  their  life^  and  from  the  Spirit^  and  from  the  Father  ; 
}>ecaus  J   it  is   ih(d\i-  joint  bestoiuinent  as  to  its  nature,   thouiih 
cacii  diotinc't  person  is  cccoaomi:ally  distin^/jished  in  the  re- 
gpeclive  manner  of  ils  bestowal  or  enjoyment. 


I4«  W  A  T  E  R    o  p    L  I  J"  E. 

For  this  great  purpose  there  is  so  much  mention  made  irt 
the  Scriptures  of  che  use  oi  liv'mg  wr/ter^  or  the  'water  of  life  ^ 
Believers^  being  planted  or  grafted  into  Christy  are  to  groW 
and  increase  by  the  continual  watering  of  the  Holy  Spirits 
As  ihev  need  his  influence  and  support,  from  moment  to  mo- 
ment; he  hath  graciously  promised  to  ivater  them  every  -mo- 
ment. As  they  require  free  access  to  Christ,  as  to  their 
fountain,  from  wliom  this  water  of  life  proceeds;  the  grant 
inins.  Whosoever  iviJl^  let  him  tijke  the  'water  of  life  freely. 
They  are  athirst  for  this,  and  therefore  they  will  to  drink  j 
and,  being  ivillijig  to  d-ink,  they  may  drink  freely  and  for  e- 
ver.  The  Spirit  gave  them  life^  or  they  could  h^ivefeit  no 
thirst :  Th^y  thirst  for  increasing  life  ;  and  they  may  have  it 
to  their  full  replenisiiment  and  joy  by  him.  O  what  a  glori- 
ous promise  is  here  lo  those,  who  thirst  for  the  living  God, 
and  who  feel  within  them  a  Ki):ll  to  drink,  not  out  of  the  6ro-' 
ken  cisterns  of  the  world,  'I'ohich  can  hold  no  loater^  but  out  of 
the  inexhaustible  fountain  or  living  waters  1  To  such  the 
word  is,  DrinJz^yen  drink  abundantly^  0  beloved  I 

From  the  foregoing  considerations  it  may  appear,  that  it  is 
the  peculiar  office  and  glory  of  the  Spirit  of  God  to  be  the 
'xater  of  life  unto  his  people,  and  the  water  of  purification  to 
keep  them  clean,  when  made  alive,  from  their  original  fdth 
and  pollution.  He  is  called  the  Holy  Spirit^  not  only  be- 
cause He  is  intrinsically  holy  in  Hin^self,  for  this  cannot  be 
doubted,  but  because  He  is  the  author  of  all  hdliness  and  pu- 
rification to  the  church  of  God.  He  gives  life,  sustains  it, 
and  purifies  it  from  the  filth  of  the  earthen  vessel  into  which 
it  is  received.  He  is  not  mere  passive  povv^er  like  elementa- 
ry water,  and  therefore  He  calls  himself  iioing  water,  watet*'- 
of  life,  or  of  lives.  He  both  gives  life,  and  a6ls  in  the  life- 
given.  As  water  naturally  rejects  impurities,  and  purges  a- 
way  all  heterogeneous  paitici^s,  till  nothing  remain  in  its 
substance  but  its  own  pure  fluid ;  H.^w  much  more^  then, 
muct  the  water  of  life  cleanse  ail  defilements  from  the  hearts 
of  his  people,  till,  in  the  appointed  time,  nothing- shall  remairk 
but  his  own  pure  life  within  their  souls  ! 

If  these  premises  be  admitted,  and  admitted  they  must  be 
upon  the  ground  of  the  Scriptu.es,  they  conclude  most  invin- 
cibly for  the  Divinity  of  that  blessed  person, by  whom  such 
supernatural  operations  are  performed.  No  effe^l  can  rise 
abo^'€  its  cause:  And  thfrreFore,  as  these  effeels  are  above 
all  created  might,  it  follows,  that  no  creature  could  perform 
them.  But  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  performed  them  ;  and  it  is 
his  oHice  to  perform  them.  \yl\\\  Bel-zebu b  himself  say,  then, 
thut  he  is  a  creature?  Belzebub,  with  all  his  effrontery, 
v/ould  disown  such  logic,  as  would  render  him  as  much  a  fool 
a&  lie  is  a  devil.     He  knew  Christ  in  the  flesh,  and  acknow- 


W  A  T  E  R     o  I-    L  I  F  E.  i^^ 

ledged  his  divine  power  and  glory:  AndJie  hath  seen  too 
much  of  the  mighty  works  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  not  to  know, 
that  only  God  himself  could  have  wrought  tiiem.  So  nianv 
demonstrations  of  this  grand  truth,  even  upon  expcrlmej'it 
(to  use  a  favorite  word  from  modern  philosophy)  might  con- 
vince modern  philosophers  themselves,  were  they  to  be  con- 
vinced  by  God's  machines  rather  than  their  own,  that  this  is 
a  truth  resulting  from  the  God  of  truth.  7bc  mighty  signs 
and  wonders^  wrought  hy  the  pO'wer  of  the  Spirit  of  God^  Ao  so 
manifest  and  testify  his  eternal  pomoer  and  Godhead^  that  thev, 
who  presume  or  persist  to  deny  it,  are  left  without  excuse, 
Rom.  XV.  19*  i.  20.  They  have  no  refuge,  but  to  deny  the 
signs  and  wonders  themselves  ;  and,  in  this  refuge,  they 
must  deny  all  religion  and  revelation,  commence  avowed  hea- 
thens, and  utterly  reje(5l  the  God  of  the  Scriptures. 

Upon  these  strong  foundations,  believer,  rest  the  iiroofs 
of  thy  blessed  supporter's  divinity.  They,  who  deny  it,  may 
pretend  indeed  to  kiss  the  Bible  ;  but  they  do  it,  like'  Jiulas^ 
either  to  betray,  or  like  some  customary  perjurers,  only  to 
gaiii  by  it.  That  a  sincere,  sensible,  and  intelligent  mind, 
which  is  able  to  see  the  consequences  and  comuinations  of 
fa6ts  and  doctrines,  should  oppose  the  very  principle  upon 
which  all  those  fuels  and  doctrines  have  proceeded,  and  in 
spite  of  the  effeds  disown  the  cause  ;  can  only  be  accounted 
for  in  one  v/ay,  and  in  the  way  St.  Paul  accounted  for  the 
preposterous  unbelief  of  the  Jews.  AQs  xxviii.  23,  &c.  And 
that  this  is  the  true  mode  of  accounting  for  this  procedure, 
appears  from  hence  ;  let  the  man  be  once  touched  by  the 
grace  of  this  Spirit  (and,  blessed  be  God,  there  have  bee:n 
many  instances  of  this  kind)  ;  let  him  feel  himself  to  be,  as 
he  is,  a  poor,  lost,  and  guilty  creature  :  let  him  lind  his  own 
nature  sinful,  helpless,  and  hopeless  in  itself  tjiroughout  ;  let 
him  embrace  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  his  ordy  rock  of  salva- 
tion, and  his  blood  and  righteousness  as  the  only  means  of 
his  acceptance  with  God  ;  and  he  owns  at  once,  that  this 
mighty  change  in  his  heart  and  life  could  only  be  eifedl^d  b;^ 
a  divine  power,  and  that  this  is  the  power  of  the  Spirit  ot 
God.  No  longer  will  he  doubt  of  the  divinity  of  his  person, 
no  longer  disown  the  omnipotence  of  hi^  grace.  He  is  charm- 
ed with  this  truth,  as  the  comfort  of  his  soul,  and  blesses 
God,  that,  as  He  alone  could  have  mercy  upon  such  a  worm 
and  restore  him  to  life,  surely  He  will  do  nothing  in  vain,  but 
bless  him  to  life  eternal.  The  demonstration  is  bi  ought  home 
to  his  heart;  and  he  could  just  as  soon  deny  his  own  exis- 
tence, as  dare  to  oppose  the  divinity  of  God  the  Holy  Ghost. 
It  is  a  truth,  as  certain  as  the  Bible  itself,  that,  let  the  man 
be  who  he  may  or  >vhat  he  may,  if  he  <^Ain£ay  the  divine  na- 

w 


ISO  W  A  T  E  R     o  ?     L  I  F  E. 

ture  and  glory  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  he  neither  knows  his  own 
heart,  nor  the  book  of  God,  nor  the  power  of  God,  and  hath 
no   true  hope   oi  comfort  in   his  soul,  while  he  continues  in 
this  state,  for   life  eternal.   Speak,   conscience,  in   him    that 
reads  this,  and  bear  v/itness  for  God,  that  tbese  things  are  so. 
The  whole  Book  of  God  is  a  book  oi  experience^  as  well  as 
of  instru6tion.   It  is  a  channel  provided  by  the  Spirit  of  Life^ 
and  himself,  as  the  Water  of  Life,  flows  within  it;   and  thus 
w^herever  the   book  is  understood,  it  is  not  like  other  books 
laboured  with  fine  tho'Aghts  or  bright  compositions  only,  but 
full  of  life,  demonstration,  and  pov/er.      To  the  real  believer, 
it  is  a  t?ooJi  sprinkled  for  his  use  by  the  blood  of  jesus^  and 
his  conscience  is   sprinkled  with   the  same   blood   to  use  the 
book.   See  Hebr.  ix.  19.   There  are  no  naked  principles,  void 
of  iniiucnce   or  use,   in  the  Scripture  ;  but  they  all  apply  to 
the  heart,  mind,  andcondu6l,  and,  wherever  they  enter,  make 
the  whole  man  the  wiser  and  the  better  for  eternity.    Gonti- 
nual    appeals    are  made  in  this  book   to   men's  experimental 
knowledge  of  divine  truths;  and  this  kind  of  knowledge    is 
the  only  one  called   by   that    name  in  the  original  word,  and 
becv^mes  the  taste  and  enjoyment  of  the  things  assumed  to  be 
known.   C  irnai  professors  of  Christianity  (k<i  not  comprehend 
this  quickening  mode  of  acquiring  theology,  but  erroneously 
suppose,   that  it  consists  in   high  notions,  refined   ideas,    or 
some  metaphysical  speculations.     On  the  contrary,    it  is  so 
plain  to  the  renewed  capacity,  that  be  ^^bo  runs  r.iay  read  it^ 
and  he,  Vv'ho  wills,  n"vay  enjoy  it.   The  Spirit  of  truth  prepares 
the  heart  for  the  truth,  and,  by  this  preparation  of  the  Spirit, 
the  most  ignorant  man  apprehends  so  much  truth  as  is  neces- 
sary to  salvation  ;   and  the  most  learned  can  do  no  more.   As 
with  the  manna,  he  tliat  can  gather  but  little,  has   no  lack  ; 
and  he  that  gathers  much,  has  none  to  spare.    The  reason  is, 
both  apprehend   it  by  an  higher    operation    than  their  own  ; 
And,  v/ithout  this  operation,  they  cannot  apprehend  it  at  all. 
There  weie  divers  ivasbings  and  carnal  ordinances  imposed ovi 
the  Jews,  until  the  time  of  reformation^  or  the  appointed  sea- 
son of  corrc6lion  and  explanation  ;   and  these  shadowed  forth 
the  purifying  operations  of  the   Holy   Spirit:  But  the  carnal 
Jews,  like  too  many  of  our  nominal  Chi  istians,  knew  nothing 
of  the  n)i!tter,  and  did  the  work  as  a  woik,  without  the  sense 
of  its  experimental  instruction.     They  were  no  more  cleans- 
ed by  tlie  spirit  of  the  law,  though  they  pun61ually  followed 
the  letter  of  it,    than  some  of  our  modern  professors  are  by 
the  sacrament  of  baptism.     They  thought,  ihdil  if  tbey  put  a- 
.    vjay  the  filth  of  the  f.esh  literally,  it  was  all  well  with  them, 
and  that  their  mind  and  conscience,  however  defiled,  v/ouhl 
stand  in  the  judgment.      Our  Lord  corre6\s  this   gross    mis- 
take, in  Mark  vii.   And  in  Luke  ::i.  38^  he  se^ 


"W  A  T  E  R     o  F    L  I  F  E.  151 

eommon  pra61ice  of  <i\}c7sbin^  before  meals,  011  purpose  to  liave 
an  occasion  of  explaining  that  ori^^ijlncu  design,  which  liai 
been  forgotten,  and  without  which  all  these  outward  services 
became  empty  ceremonies,  or  (in  the  apostle's  indignant 
phrasejweiJift  andbcggarly  elements.  Tlrat  design  was  not  a  poli- 
tical one  framed  by  Moses''s  own  brain, in  order  to  induce  clean- 
liness in  a  hot  climate  among  a  nasty  people,  as  some  have  pre- 
tended to  account  for  the  institution  ;  but  a  ])iece  of  instruc- 
tion to  the  people,  like  the  rest  of  the  law,  to  lead  up  thoir 
minds  by  natural  types  to  high  and  heavenly  things.  A  sail 
natural  men  do,  the  carnal  Jews  courted  tlie  shadow,  and  lost 
sight  of  the  substance.  They  did  what  was  right  in  following 
'the  outward  precepts,  but  they  became  guilty  of  perversion, 
when  they  so  rested  in  them,  as  to  look  no  fartl^^r.  Hence, 
•the  apostle  calls  such  men  ^ells  luitbout  ivatcr  :  They  are  in 
form  wells  professing  to  have  and  to  yield  v/ater  ;  but,  be- 
cause they  have  none,  they  may  justly  be  called  empty  pro- 
fessors* 

When  a  man,  therefore,  applies  to  his  own  experience,  he 
soon  may  know,  either  that  he  hr.th  not  this  divine  S^oirit,  or 
water  of  life  in  him,  and  so  he  knows  not,  in  truth,  <wbetber 
there  be  any  Holy  Ghost  ;  or  else,  that  he  hath  the  blessing 
of  his  grace  in  him,  which  from  the  very  nature  of  it,  he  is 
sure  could  only  be  the  work  of  a  divine  agent.  If  any  man 
have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ  he  is  none  of  his:  And,  in  that 
case,  all  his  belief  or  unbelief,  respecSling  his  divinity,  is  a 
mere  notion,  and  ends  in  notlnng  (unless  God  prevent)  but 
to  harden  him  on  the  one  hand,  or  to  make  him  secure  and 
careless  on  the  other.  To  convince  a  man  in  his  sins  of  this 
truth,  speculatively,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  God  ;  is  not 
worth  the  labor  of  writing  one  line.  He  may  hold  it,  or  not 
hold  it;  it  is  just  the  same  to  him.  The  divinity  of  the  Spi- 
rit can  afford  no  more  comfort  to  him,  than  the  bare  idea  of 
God's  justice  or  vengance  upon  sir.ners.  On  the  other  hand, 
when  this  truth,  concerning  the  Holy  Ghost,  is  applied  to  the 
renl  believer  ;  h^^  can  say,  upon  the  warrant  of  God's  word, 
that  h^oiight^  and  upon  the  testimony  of  his  own  conscience, 
that  h=  doth  apprehend  and  know  it,  experimentally^  to  the 
comfort  and  support  of  his  soul.  He  further  can  say  ;  "  Once 
I  was  dead,  but  now  am  alive  to  my  God  :  Once  1  was  blind 
to  my  true,  and  my  everlasting  interests  ;  but  now  I  see 
them  :  Once  I  was' a  scoffer  at  true  rcligicn,  and  could  nor 
endure  (what  I  thought)  the  incr.pportablc  stiiC>ncss  of  an 
holy  life  ;  but  now  I  Tove  and  tejoicc  in  it  as  uiy  portion,  and 
find  all  its  paths  to  be  paths  of  peace.  God's  word  tcDs  me, 
that  this  renewal  or  restoration  to  life  is  by  the  power  of  the 
divine  Spirit  ;  that  be  converted  my  soul,  and  supplit^  it  with 
that  living  water^  by  which  it  is  comforted  and  r.owrished  for 


iSX  W  A  T  E  R     OF     L  I  F  E. 

his  heavenly  kin^doai  ;  and  that  I  am,  with  all  the  redeemed, 
to  be  at;  bauUauoi  of  God  tbrougb  ths  Spirit*  My  heart's  ex^ 
pericncc  tuihes  with  tlie  holy  Scripture,  and  assures  me,  in 
cunt'ormity  to  it,  that  He^  "vobo  baib  Kvrougbt  tbis  stlj-sam? 
ibiiig  Id  ;;;(,%  is  God.  And  i  see  it  as  lujpossible  for  it  to  be 
the  work  ot  a  creature,  as  it  is  inipossibie  for  creatures  to 
crv:ace  at  ail,  anti  so  give  a  life  which  they  have  not  in  or  from 
tncmselves..  1  cuuid  much  sooner  believe  that  a  fly  could 
create  an  angel  or  frame  a  world,  than  that  any  being,  who 
depends  for  his  all  upon  another,  should  0/  bis  O'-c^on  iviU  btget 
me  by  the  'Moovd  of  trutb  \  and,  as  be  ivill,  divide  unto  me  and 
others  severally^  all  those  giits,  which  are  positively  and  di- 
retlly  called  t/be  operations  of  God."  Jam^s  i,  18.  with  l 
Cor,  xii.  6,  1 1. 

Experience,  which  is  the  repeated  work  of  God's  Spirit  in 
the  soul,  teaches  the  believer,  that  the  several  outward  a6l3 
of  washing  and  cleansing  loudly  preach  purity  of  heart  and 
life,  and  were  chiefly  enjoined  as  expressive  symbols  for  that 
purpose.  Thus,  the  baving  our  bearts  sprinkled  from  an  evil 
conscience^  is  the  great  object  of  the  legal  injun6tion,  that  our 
bodies  be  washed witb pure  water,  Heb.  x.  22.  Thus  the  purr 
pose  ot  being  baptized  outwardly,  is  a  sensible  expression  of 
faith,  that  our  sins  are  'washed  a^way  through  Christ  Jesus. 
A(5ls  xxii.  16.  Thus  this  outward  washing  is  typical  of  the 
mystical  washing  of  regeneration  and  renewing  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  Titus  iii,  ^.  See  also  Ezek.  xxxvi.  25.  And  the  wholie 
design  of  It  is  con^prehended  at  onpe  by  the  apostle  in  these 
worcs  ;  But  ye  are  washed^  but  ye  are  sanctified^  but  ye  are  jus- 
tifcd^  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  fesus,  and  by  the  Spirif  of  our 
God.  I  Cor.  vi.  11.  Abana  and  Pharpar^  the  rivers  of  Da^ 
mascus^  the  Ganges  of  the  east,  nay,  Jordan  itself,  dignified 
as  it  hath  been  by  Christ  and  his  prophets,  could  not  wipe  a^ 
way  oiie  spot  of  sin,  nor  j)uriry  to  the  least  degree  of  holi- 
ness ;  *  but  the  blood  ot  Chiist,  and  th.e  living  water  alone, 
from  the  Spirit  of  God,  Man  can  at  any  time  find  water  e- 
nough  ,  «s  John  Baptist  said,  I  baptize  with  water ^  &c.  But 
God  alone  can  baptize  with  (what  the  water  signifies)  the 
Holy  Ghost,  for  the  ablution  of  sii'.  In  vain  do  men  catch 
at  the  shell  oF  religion,  if  they  enjoy  not  what  lies  within. 
The  shell  hath  no  life  nor  food  in  icself,  though  ordained  to 
hold  and  communicate,  what  is  altogether  food  and  life  to 
those,  who  rccei\'e  it. 

*  Epiphaniiis  r;oes  farther,  and  says,  in  the  words  of  his  translp.-. 
tor,  <V'e^i^f  t7iim  ocu.nus,  hcqut  cmn.aj  i.tviu  ex  n.cru.j  vviiijUe  j.trjttvi^ 
acfoiv.cs.,  univc-scqve  imbripera  natura  inumim  corgressc.^  pcccaHi  dc^t 
/«/(? /ofc^  Centra  Hemerob.  " 


W  A  T  E  R     o  r     L  I  F  E.  153 

But  some  may  yet  ask,  ^'  How  shall  wc  know  indeed,  that 
,our    experience  is   true,   anvi  ti.at    wc   are  really  partakers  of 
this  Water  of  Lite  i'" — Cohfiiilt  the  enibleip.,  whicii    God  has 
^et   befoie   you.      Coriii.ion   wate.   is  Cullea  living  water,  be- 
.cause  it  is  running  or  moving  v;atei.*"     bo  the  Spirit  of  God 
in  a  man  moves  anu  ads,  is  not  iner-  himself,  nor  SLuTcrs  the 
creature  to  be  so.      Hari  he  stirred  up  the  mind  towards  God, 
and  Christ,  and  heaver.ly  tilings  r   Doth   he   cleanse  from  the 
filth  of  .sin,  and  the   fiesh,   and  earthiv  things?   Arc  the  atVcC- 
tions  ot  the  heart  engaged  for  (j^ji\^  ar.d  the  aCiions  of  the  life 
employed  to  his  ^lory  ?   Is  tliere   a  positive  renunciation  of 
self,  and  a  continual  breathing  after  nearer  communion  with 
God  in  all  duties  and  fundlionsr — Thesj  arc  the  acts  of  life. 
This  is  the  motion  of  tlie  living  vvuter,   vvhicli  oui  Lord  de- 
scribes as  springing,  contiiiually  running  ami  springing  ;^/;  in- 
to everlasting  life.      It  flows   because  it  lives.     Vicw  its  em-  . 
Wem  in  plants  and  animals.   The  water  which  nourishes  them, 
and  forms  a  considerable  part  of  their  composition,  is  ever  in 
.a6l  and  exercise,  is  always  moving  through  the  various  parts 
and  channels  of  their  frame.     Thus  also,  the  Holy  Spirit  atVs 
in  the  soul  of  the  Christian,  and  is  to  it,  respecying  its  divine 
life,  what  material  water  is  to  the  animal    life  of  the  body. 
He  nourishes,  saturates,  and  prepares  it  for  everlasting  glory. 
This  is  a  very  common  image  in  the  holy  Scriptures,  particu- 
larly in  the  Old  Testament,  and  must  have  occurred  to  the 
frequent  observation  of  every  serious  reader. 

As  we  have  corrupt  bodies,  and  walk  in  a  filthy  world,  we 
ourselves  have  need  of  frequent  cleansing  from  our  own  un^ 
avoidable  defilements,  and  should  look,  therefore,  with  can- 
dor and  compassion  on  the  defilements  of  others.  This  lesson 
is  taught  us  in  a  most  forcible  emblem  by  Jfcsus  Christ,  in 
John  xiii.  His  disciples,  except  one,  were  all  clean,  and  truly 
so,  by  being  washed  in  the  Fountain  of  life.  Yet  the  feet 
needed  repeated  v/ashing  by  bim^  and,  not  only  this,  but 
washing  by  each  other.  In  plain  words  ;  our  ahedience^  sig- 
nified by  the  feet  as  the  iaslruments  of  motion,  is  imperfect  at 
the  best,  and  requires  much  cleansing  from  God:  And  it  is 
also  so  combined  with  corruption,  that  Christians,  knowing 
their  own  infirmities,  should  be  tender  to  the  infirmities  of 
others,  endeavour  to  recover  them  frorn  their  falls,  strive  to 
cleanse  away  dirt  instead  of  sticking  it  on,  and  cover  with  a 
mantle  of  charity  whatever  may  be  concealed  without  injury 
to  the  cause  of  (^  >d  or  to  society.     He  should  hate  the  sm  as 

*  ^ucmadmodum  enim  corpus  animacarens  non  movttur^  sed  centra 
Divum,  anima  vi  movctur :  sic  a.ua  e  fonte  projluens.  non  quUscit^  sed 
moiidtur,     GoMAR.  laJohao.  iv.  10, 


154  \V  A  T  E  R    OF     L  I  F  E. 

much  as  possible,  but  not  the  sinner^  who  is  to  be  tenderly 
prayed  Tor,  and  restored  upon  his  peniteiicy  with  ths  spirit  of 
^ineckness. 

When  this  well  oF  living  water  springs  up  in  a  man,  it  dis- 
poses his  habit  and  iVame  to  the  likeness  of  Christ  in  all  the 
duties  of  love,  patience,  forbearance  and  humility.  The  life 
and  conversation  of  a  person  will  soon  shew,  whether  this 
uater  be  in  him  or  not,  and  how  strong  or  weak  it  is  in  him. 
It  cannot  run  long  in  him  without  cleansing  his  lips  and  his 
life;  as  the  muddiest  channel  will  be  washed  from  its  filth 
by  the  continued  accessions  of  running  water.  A  foul 
mouth  is  a  lying  mouth,  if  it  pretend  to  have  been  cleansed 
by  the  water  of  life  ;  And  the  same  miaybe  said  of  the  heart, 
if  it  can  indulge  itself  in  allowed  impurities,  li  Pericles  -dlso 
an  heathen  could  aiiirm  of  a  general,  that  *^  he  ought  not 
only  to  have  clean  hands,  but  clean  eyes  too;"  undoubtedly 
it  may  be  urged  with  far  greater  reason  concerning  the 
Christian's  employment  of  that  faculty. §  l^urn  am^ay  mine 
e^es^  lest  they  behold  vanity  ;  was  an  excellent  prayer  for  as 
excellent  a  practice.  There  are  many  cttps  and  platters  fair- 
ly washc^d  on  the  outside^  which  will  not  bear  to  be  looked  at 
mjitbin. — We  may  also  judee  of  the  strength  of  the  stream  by 
the  manner  of  its  flowing.  Shallow  little  rivulets  make  a 
wonderful  rippling  noise,  because  they  are  only  little  and 
shallow.  The  deeper  the  stream,  the  more  solid,  and  calm  it 
will  glide  along.  Its  obje6l  is  use^  and  not  clamor.  While 
it  yields  fertility  to  the  shores,  and  profit  to  those  who  pass 
upon  it  or  receive  a  portion  of  its  flood  ;  its  depth  is  not  seen 
by  the  eye,  nor  can  the  ear  perceive  its  flow ;  yet  the  ear  is 
gratified  by  the  sounds  of  those  who  enjoy  its  benefits,  and 
the  eye  is  filled  with  the  prospe6l  of  advantages  arising  on  e- 
very  side.  But  rivers  are  rare,  and  deep  rivers  still  more 
rare  ;  v;hilc  rivulets,  bourns,  and  shallows,  not  to  say  puddles, 
are  common  wherever  we  go. 

Talking  or  writing  about  this  living  water,  if  it  end  in 
writing  or  talking  only,  will  do  the  soul  no  good.  A  disser- 
tation upon  the  properties  of  the  elementary  water  will  not 
quench  the  thirst  of  a  man  ready  to  perish,  nor  yet  the  view 
of  its  use  by  others:  It  must  be  drank^  received  within,  and 
appropriated  to  himself.  Hence,  all  true  believers,  are  said, 
bv  the  apostle,  to  be  baptized  by  one  Spirit  into  one  body^ 
which  regards  x\\^\x  pur iji cation  as  members  or  Christ,  and  to 
hcrce  been  all  made  to  drink  into  one  Spirit^  which  implies 
their  reception  of  this  water  of  life  so  as  to  live  hy  it.  i  Cor. 
xii.  13.  They  are  cleansed  from  outward  defilements  by  that 
very  Spirit,  by  whom  they  inwardly  enjoy  tlie  life  and  peace 

§  Plutarch.  Life  of  VtriclQs* 


W  A  T  E  R     o  r     L  I  F  E.  15^ 

of  God.  Were  tills  more  understood,  and  the  necessity  of  it 
'more  forcibly  felt,  even  by  good  men  j  v/e  should  see  ir.oro 
honor  appeur  in  the  world  for  the  cause  of  true  reliction,  than 
can  possibly  be  expected  from  hard  words  and  sharp  disputes, 
which,  whatever  they  do  beside,  certainly  can  edify  no- 
body."^ 

Happy  believer!  How  art  thou  privile-^ed  constantly  to  be 
drawing  water,  this  very  water  of  eternal  life,  out  of  the 
Kvells^  or  rather  fountains,  of  j^2/i;.7r/o;2  /  Isa.  xii.  3.  Thou 
art  by  nature  a  dry  soil,  and  situated  in  a  wilderness,  where 
there  is  no  water:  But  God  hath  proniised  to  maJ^c  this 
wildtrness  a  pool  of  ivater^  a:id  this  dr^)  land  springs  of  'coaler, 
Isa.  xli.  18.  He  liath  begun  to  fulfil  this  j^romise  in  thy 
heart.  Thou  canst  not  say,  as  formerly,  that  theie  was  no 
plant  of  grace  within  thee;  no  hope,  no  love,  no  desire 
to  please  God,  nor  solicitude  about  salvation.  These 
graces  are  all /rt\"'j  of  the  Lord'' s planting :  The  wilderness 
within,  which  is  but  a  parched  sand,  could  not  ha-ie  raised 
them.      And  what  he  plants,  he  Vv^aters  ;   sometimes  with   r/- 

*  It  seems  impossible  for  any  real  Christian  to  read  the  roiic.vinjj 
words  of  the  late  Dr.  Doddridge^  without  an  edifying  satisi^6uon» 
This  amiable  man,  though  a  dissenter,  undertook  a  very  laborious 
re  visal  of  archbishop  Lf(;/.'/^c?i'i'  commentary  on  the  first  epistle  of 
St.  Peter ;  and,  towards  the  close  of  a  long  r.nd  excellent  preface, 
drops  these  sentiments,  which  do  him  as  much  honor  as  a  Chrii/tian, 
as  his  other  valuable  performances  distinguish  him  for  a  Scholar. 
"  It  is  truly  my  grief  that  any  thing  should  divide  me  from  the  full- 
"  est  communion  with  those,  to  vdiom  I  am  united  in  bonds  of  as 
"  tender  aiTection,  as  I  bear  to  any  of  my  fellow  Christians.  And 
^^  it  is  my  daily  prayer,  that  God  v/ill,  by  his  gentle  but  po'>vcrful 
"  inilueDce  on  our  minds,  m.utually  dispose  us  more  and  more  for 
"  such  a  further  union,  as  may  most  eneclually  consolidate  the 
*'  Protestant  cause,  establish  the  throne  of  our  gracious  SovL'ri.-ign, 
*'  remove  the  scandals  our  divisions  have  occasioned,  and  ^^■trength- 
"  en  our  hands  in  these  efforts,  by  which  we  are  attcmpling,  and 
"  might  then  I  hope  more  successfully  attempt,  the  service  of  our 
*'  common  Christianity." — If  the  pious  reader  , has  not  read  this 
preface,  and  the  admirable  book  to  which  it  is  prefixed  ;  he  has  yet 
a  satisfa6lion  to  receive,  which  it  would  be  even  injurious  to  deny 
himself.  Leighton'swovi!^?,  stand  among  the  foremost  upon  practi- 
cal and  experimental  divinity.  Dr.  Doddridge's  edition  is  wliolly  in 
private  hands ;  but  it  is  a  fcivor  to  the  public,  tl\at  another  has  lately 
been  set  forth,  under  the  direction  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Foster, 

The  pious  reader  will  also  be  pleased  to  find  almofil  these  very 
sentiments  in  the  diary  of  Mr.  llatthevj  Henry^  puldisbed  in  the  ac- 
count of  his  life  by  Mr.  Ton-{e^^.'225.  It  is  with  delight  cue  rcado 
these  candid  and  catholic  opinions,  ^viiich  (God  be  praised)  are  to  be 
found  among  the  most  en-iinently  gracious  writers  both  in  and  out 
of  the  esttvbhshed  church.  May  this  harmony  of  ijrace  be  increatcU  ! 


156  WATER     or     LIFE. 

vers^  Vv'hich  represent  his  sensible,  solid,  and  lasting  grace  ;" 
sometijues  with  rains ^  which,  though  perceptible,  are  short 
and  occasional ;  and  sometiines  only  with  devts^  which  fall 
invisibly,  yet  keep  th;i  plants  alive  between  shower  and  show- 
er, till  they  are  matured  for  glory.  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord- 
hath  an  order  and  a  season  for  all  his  operations.  Not  a  drop 
more  or  less  of  the  living  water  falls  upon  a  believing  heart, 
than  is  appointed  for  it,  or  appointed  for  particular  good. 
Hence  the  psalmist  says,  My  tirms^  my  seasons,  opportuni- 
ties, or  fit  times,  are  in  thy  hand^  or  power.  And  hence  the' 
wise  man  observes,  To  every  thing  there  is  this  ti?ne  or  sea- 
son^ and  to  fvery  purpose  under  heaven.  Ttie  world  of  grace 
is  no  more  conducted  by  chance^  or  the  self-determining  will 
of  njan,  which  is  e.iaclly  the  same,  than  the  world  of  nature 
is.  Aiid  for  this  reason,  believer,  thou  art  privilegei  to  en- 
tejtain  a  "nore  abundant  joy,  which  none  can  take  from  thee. 
Goa'i  o.nnipotence  and  faithfulness  are  thy  safety,  and  form' 
a  ground  of  security  wiiich  cannot  be  found  in  all  the  crea- 
tuies.  His  wisdom,  like'A^ise,  metes  out  thy  proper  portion^ 
ar.d  wjrks  in  the  whole  of  it  for  tliy  real  welfare.  The  di- 
vine Spirit  waters,  cleanses,  replenishes-,  and  sustains,  from 
time  io  time,  by  his  grace,  all  that  principle  of  life  in  thy  soul, 
which,  left  to  thy  own  corrupt  nature,  would  soon  perish  or' 
decay.  It  13  ihy  privilege,  ther;;fore,  as  well  as  thy  interest 
and  duty,  tn  be  ever  looking  up  to  him,  and  to  be  praying  for 
strength  and  v/isiom  to  be,  as  con.stantly,  looking  out  from 
thyself.  In  thee  ail  is  barrenness  and  misery:  In  hiniy  all  is- 
life  and  peace.  Itwas  a  gracious  cry  of  St.  Augustine  ;  Do- 
mine^  libera  7::e  a  m:ilo  bonint  rneipso  I  ^*'  O  Lord,  deliver  mc 
from  that  evil  man  .myseif  1"  A  .id  it  is  a  cry,  which  none 
br.t  a  truly  gr?xi.)us  Jieart  c4n  feelingly  utter.  .  Whoever  can 
utter  it  aright,  is  enabled  so  to  do  by  the  power  of  that  Spi- 
rit, who  discovered  so  much"  weakness,  sin,  and  corruption 
within  the  heart,  as  to  make  it  loathe  itself,  and  to  cry  out 
for  his  present  and  omnipotent  aid.  Nothing  but  omnipotence 
Vv'ill  5,-.ti3fy  a  mind,  who  considers  the  extent  of  sin  with  its 
infinite  train  of  evils,  thj  power  of  Satan  and  his  adherents, 
the  snares  of  all  sorts  laid  in  the  way,  and  the  inward  dispo- 
sition of  corrupt  nature  to  follow  all  these,  both  in  ignorance 
of  the  v/orth  of  God  and  in  enmity  to  the  will  of  God.  To 
discourse  with  suciian  one,  about  his  natural  powers  in  spiri- 
tual concerns,  is  to  him  entering  upon  a  romance,  w'-iich  ne- 
ver has  been  realized  since  the  fall  of  Adam,  and  which  never 
can  be  realized  upon  the  present  constitution  of  things.  It 
will  only  prove,  that  the  discourser,  however  eminent  or  in- 
telligent in  other  affairs,  knows  nothing  of  the  subjedlin  hand, 
or  (in)rtifying  as  it  is  to  hu  nan  pride)  is  not  duly  aciuainted 
with  liis  own  hearu     It  is  seeking  the  gard;en  of  Eden  in  th^' 


W  A  T  E  R    o  f    L  I  F  E.  157 

deserts  of  Arabia  ;  nay,  woise,  it  is  representing  those  very 
deserts,  which  are  vast  tra'Jls  of  inhospitahle  sands,  to  he 
groves,  and  parterres,  and  gardv^ns,  and  even  paradise  itself. 
Such  a  fairy  land  may  amuse  thosv.*,  v/ho  pursue  religion  as 
they  do  their  reveries  ;  but  the  Christian  seeks  for  solid 
ground  to  walk  upon,  solid  comforts  upon  that  ground,  and 
finds  both  to  be  only  attainable  through  the  ly&r^  and  llie 
luorking  of  him  who  built  the  world. 

Blessed  be  God,  solid  ground  and  solid  comforts  are  attain- 
able here  :  And  every  believer  is  privileged  to  possess  tliem. 
''  But  if  this  be  the  case  (says  some  drooping  heart)  why  go 
I  mourning  thus  all  the  day?  Why  do  I  not  experience  this 
inward  blessedness  of  God's  people,  and  taste  the  felicity  of 
his  chosen  ? — Ask  thyself  first,  "•  Wby  do  I  desire  the  bles- 
sing?" Is  it  with  a  view  to  God''s  glory  alone;  or  is  it  for 
some  ease  and  satisfa6lion  to  thyself^  It  is  natural  to  desire 
happiness;  but  it  is  7iot  natural  to  desire  it  in  the  right 
way,  and  for  the  right  end.  The  devil,  without  doubt,  would 
be  happy  if  he  could  ;  and  so  would  the  wickedest  mortal  up- 
on earth.  Art  thou  contented  to  go  without  happiness,  if  it 
be  God's  will  ?  And  canst  thou  say  to  him,  Tby  ivill  be  done^ 
in  this  res-pe6l?  How  art  thou  seeking  peace  for  thy  mind? 
And  what  end  dost  thou  propose  to  thyself  in  having  it? — 
These  are  questions,  which  are  worth  examining;  for  there 
are  many  people,  who  expeJl  the  comforts  of  the  gospel,  with- 
out the  faith  of  the  gospel ;  and  as  many,  who  v/ould  have 
the  peace  of  grace,  without  the  life  of  grace.  Into  these 
two  classes,  perhaps,  all  sorrowing  professors  may  be  resolv- 
ed. If  they  have  not  true  faith,  or  do  not  exercise  that 
faith  truly  ;  it  is  impossible  they  should  have  peace.  While 
darkness  rules  in  the  mind,  and  hides  the  object  of  salvation  ; 
the^  can  no  more  trust  in  it,  than  the  Israelites  could  look 
upon  the  serpent  in  the  wilderness  at  midnight.  The  truths 
of  the  gospel  must  be  obvious  to  the  understanding,  and  the 
will  and  judgment  must  cleave  to  them,  before  a  man  can  be 
comforted  by  those  truths.  And,  therefore,  where  the  soul  is 
enabled  to  see,  that  both  itself  is  a  sinner,  and  that  Christ 
died  for  such  sinners,  holding  forth  his  salvation  to  them  wlio 
feel  their  need  of  it,  without  any  conditions  or  qualifications 
but  that  need ;  it  v/ill  also  be  enabled  to  see,  that  one  soul, 
thus  circumstanced,  is  as  welcome  to  Christ  as  another,  and 
that,  if  it  had  not  been  welcome  to  Christ,  it  had  never  been 
made  to  see  this  absolute  need  of  him,  nor  to  fed  any  distress 
about  its  own  miserable  condition  without  hi.n.  There  is  no 
ground  of  hope  but  this;  for  God's  people  do  not  come  to 
Christ  for  salvation  as  c/fc/c^  persons,  but  as  snifii!  persons 
ready  to  perish.  Afterwards  indeed,  wlien  faith  is  establish- 
'     Vol.   II.  X 


158  ^\^  A  T  E  R    OF    LIFE, 

ed,  the  sense  of  their  e]e6lion  fills  them  with    "  sweet,  plea- 
sant, and  unspeakable  comfort;''  but  it  is  by  no  means  their 
principle  of  hope  or  a6lion  in  coming  to  Chiist.     They  come 
as  wretched  and  undone  sinners^  depend  upon  him  only  as 
such  ;  and  then,  findir.g  his  gracious  juj  and  peace  in  btlieving 
communicated  through  the  divine   Spirit,  they  have  a  testi- 
mony of  their  adoption  into  God's  family,  and  find  this  testi- 
mony confirmed  by  the  assurarxe  of  his  free  favor  in  their  Cr 
ledion..    Now,    a  man  cannot   see  and  feel  all  this,  without 
receiving  consolation'?  And  he  never  loses  ttiis  consolation, 
but  when  he  gets  off  from  this  hinge  upon  some  ether.     And 
Here,  he  gets  into  the  second  class  aboveme-Titioned,  name- 
ly, of  these,  who    live  not   the  life  of  grace.     The  greatest 
saint,  that  ever  lived,  could  never  find  peace  in  sin  :   And  all 
thjn^i^s  aie  sin-,  v/hich  are   not    condudted  in  a  gracious  spirit 
and   ior  a  gracious  end.   This  sin  is  the  source  of  all  sorrow. 
A  negligent  walk  and  conversation  proceed  from  lifelessness 
in  g'  ace  j   c;nu  liiercfcre,  it  either  degenerates  into  downright 
liartli.chs  ai.ti   siupidiiy,  proving  the  man  to  be  a  hypocrite; 
or  it   brings  on   trouble  and  inquietude  of  soul,  in  order  to 
shev/  the  n.an,  ihat  he  is  out  of  the  high-way  to  heaven.     If 
a  careless  Wc^lk  will  break  tranquility  ;  what  must  be  said  of 
a  siir.ui  or  unholy   condu(jl  ?   There   are  many  persons,  wha 
are  ab-vays  aiming  to  unite  God  and  mammon  j  and,  indeed, 
it  is  from  one  of  the  prevalent  corruptions  in  our  nature  that 
they  do  so.   They  carry  on  their  business  in  the  world  with- 
out the  least  giace  in  it,  or  prayer  over  it:   And  a  man,  Vv^ho 
cannot  pray  over  what  he  is  doing,  may  be  Fure  that  there  is 
no  grace  in  it,  but  a  great  deal  of  sin.   A  person,  in  the  com- 
mission of  a  fraud,  (though  it  may   not  be  an  open  cheating 
like  an  avowed  thief;  but  a  fraud  of  trade  and  occupation) 
can  never  be  so  impudent  with  God,  as  to  pray  for  his  assis- 
tance in  it  :   And,  if  he  doth  it  b)  himself,  God  surely  leaves 
him   to  misery  as  the  efFe6l   of  it.      A    cool   and   deliberate 
57nuggler^   for   this    reason,  has   no   title  to   the   name    of  a 
Christian  ;   nor  those  liars^  (for   they  are  not   to  be    called 
by  a  solter  name)    who   ask   high   prices,  that  people   may 
bid  for  commodities  more  than    they  are  worth  :   nor  those 
cheats.,    who    will    take    more.       People,    who    follow    evil 
professions   of  business   (and  a  man  may  knovv^  that  a    bu- 
siness is  evil   which   cannot  be  prayed  over,  both  i!>   its  act 
and  design)   or   who  foUov/  just  professions  in   an  evil  way, 
who  seek  nothing  but  money  or  self  in  them,  without  any  re- 
spedl  to  God's  glory  or  the  good  of  men  ;  these  people  cannot 
expert  ha]i[)iness  in  the  Christiaii  profession,  while  they  allow 
themselves    in  pradlices  incompatible  with  it.      They  cannot 
gay  over  th^ir  gains  ;  "  Here,  Lord,  thy  providence  hath  be- 
stowed this  money  upon  me,  as  the  medium  to  answer  my  own 


WATER     OF     LIFE.  ir. 

•  •  .  i'' 

necessities  and  those  of  my  family.     Thou  liast  been  pleased 

to  give  It  me  in  the  use  of  that  lawful  voc;iiion,  which  thou 
hast  assigned  to  me  in  the  worlds  and  I  pruy  thee  to  j)ut  thy 
blessing  ia  it,  that  tho  linle  may  "o  a  great  way  in  i;ood  pur- 
poses, or  that  tlie  much  may  answer  thy  will  in  tiie  holiest 
uses  ;  so  that,  for  all  of  it^  I  may  have  reason  to  birss  thy 
providence  and  love,  m  bcsiowing  upon  me  the  meaiis  of  do- 
ing good,  and  in  enabling  me  to  employ  the  means  for  tliy 
glory.  O  help  mc  to  be  thankful  for  this  mercy,  in  tin)e  and 
in  eternity  !" — Can  a  man  be  so  presu;np:.uous,  as  to  expc6l 
peace  with  God  in  the  world,  wlvj  cannot  thus  pi  ay  to  him? 
Can  he  dare  to  hope,  that  God  will  be  hispartna-  in  fraud  and 
deceit,  or  in  telling  lies  in  the  chop,  or  in  perjury  at  the  cus- 
tom-house? Can  he  believe,  in  his  sober  senses,  tiiat,  v/hile 
he  lives  in  the  indulgence  of  an)'  impurities,  eiciier  in  thougiit, 
word,  or  deed,  the  Holy  Spirit  will  vouchsafe  him  the  com- 
forts of  holiness  ? — It  is  impossible. 

To  enjoy  peace  from  God,  a  man  must  ivalk  im'uL  hhrt^  and  wiih 
him  (^c'^^^TtJ'fl'.*  And  theclosei  he  Vv'aiks  wiih  him,  the  more  peace 
■will  be  found  to  flow.  The  soul,  which  hath  the  true  taste  of  the 
Water  of  life,  will  always  be  thirsting  after  it,  thatj  in  its 
strc'igth,  he  may  come  nigher  and  nigher  unto  God,  and  enjoy 
the  sweetest  communion  with  him.  O  what  are  all  other  things 
to  such  a  heaven-born,  such  a  heaven-desiring,  soul !  AVhat 
traib  does  all  the  world  appear  to  him,  at  such  moments  of 
life  and  fervor,  which  men  vex  them.seives  about  for  a  short 
epace  of  time,  and  then,  at  death,  caft  all  av/ay  !  Wiiat  ])oor 
trifles,  in  this  consideration,  are  the  honours  and  opinions  cf 
d}ing  worms  1  What  empty  joys  their  highest  pleasures  !  He 
longs  for  God  :  He  thirsts  for  him  as  the  Water  of  Life  ;  and 
he  uses  the  things  of  time,  as  a  traveller  does  a  carriage  upon 
the  road,  only  for  an  appointed  means  of  bringing  him  nearer 
to  the  fountain,  whence  this  water  flows.  God  hath  given 
him  a  mind  too  great  to  be  taken  up  with  little  things,  and  a 
temper  too  justly  ambitious  to  be  put  ofl*  witli  less  than  eter- 
nal things.  It  becomes  him,  therefore,  as  a  Christian,  to  be 
exalted  above  other  men  ;  not  in  pride  or  conceited  airs,  for 
these  are  baseness  and  folly  ;  but  in  that  dignity  of  sentiment 
and  expedation,  which  renders  him  most  like  to  tlie  God  he 
serves,  and  most  useful  to  the  world  about  him.  \\\  this  high, 
yet  heavenly,  frame,  he  enjoys  the  subiimcst  and  most  t.^ten- 
sive  views  :  And  the  higher  he  ascends  to  tiic  ohjeel  of  his 
soul  above,  the  less  and  less  do  ail  worldly  matters  beneath 
him  appear.  And  when  he  loses  sight  of  them  (as  e'er  long 
he  shall)  he  comes  at  once  into  the  full  vision  and  fruition 
of  God.  Biassed  are  the  dead  Hi^hich  dk  in  the  Lord,  <x7rxft,,  in- 
stantly or  perfectly.  Tiiere  is  not  a  moment  lost  between 
thjeir  deiith  and  tlieir  everlasting  bliss.     They  coi!>e,  at  onee^ 


i6d  S  P  I  R  I  T     o  f     T  11  U  T  H. 

to  that/jf/re  rivcr  of  the  v:utcr  cf  life^  clear  as  crystal^  i.  e.  of 
the  most  transparent  \\<A\\\Q^s^'i\)bicb  proceeds  out  of  the  ibrone 
of  God.,  and  of  ibe  Lamb.  Tjus  is  that  Huly  Spirit  which  conges 
from  the  Father  and  the  Son,  and  which  purifies  and  replen- 
ishes the  church  and  temple  ot  God  throughout  eternity. — O 
then,  what  are  nicn  doing,  who  seek  not  this  eternal  good! 
What  are  believers  considering,  when  they  consider  not 
their  latter  end  I  Is  this  the  voice  of  Christ  I  ^he  Spirit  and 
the  bride  say.,  Come,  And  let  him  that  bearetb^  say.,  Come.  And 
let  him.,  that  is  athirst.^  corae.    And  ivhosoever  will^  let  him  take 

the  water  of  life  freely Here  is  a  triple  call  to  endless  joy  : 

Who  that  hears  it,  would  not  wish  to  obey!  Who,  that  feels 
its  worth,  would  not  answer  j  Come,  Lord  Jesus,  come  quickly  I 


SPIRIT     OF     TRUTH. 


WHAT  is  Truth?  was  the  inquiry  of  a  heathen,  who 
neither  loved  it  nor  cared  for  it :  And  tr^itb.,  in  the 
sense  of  the  Scriptures,  is  no  .nore  the  concern  of  the  great 
bulk  of  mankind,  than  it  was  oi  Pontius  Pilate. 

Truth,  stri6ily  speaking,  is  that  which  existi  f^^^^y  ^"^ 
unalterably.  It  cd.nuot  change ;  for  then  it  would  lose  its 
nature:  Error  only  is  mutable  and  various;  and,  though  it 
pass  through  nuiuberless  forms  and  semblances,  can  never  be- 
come thn  truth,  which  is  perfect  unity  dnd  simplicity.  Hence, 
truth  is  not  only  the  foundation  and  reulity  of  all  existence, 
but  is  aiso  ir/inite  existence  ;  for  it  must  be  commensurate 
v/ith  all  i>e'ng.  as  without  it  being  is  only  ideal,  or  rather  no 
tjuth  of  being  at  all.  But  there  is  and  can  be  only  one  infi- 
nite existence,  comprehending  ail  things  and  comprehended 
of  none  ;  for,  could  it  be  coniprehended  of  any,  it  must  ne- 
cessarily be  bounded,  and  therefore  not  infinite.  Here  then 
truth  appears  to  be  an  infinite,  unchangeable,  and  eternal  at- 
tribute, which  can  be  applied  to  no  bei-ng,  but  that  which  is 
infinite,  uT.changeable,  and  eterjial.  It  can  belong,  therefore, 
to  iione  but  Gou,  who  is  his  own  attributes,  and  consequently 
that  distinguished  one,  truth  itself  in  the  abstra6l.  And  he 
is  called  the  God  of  truth  because  truth  in  him.,  as  the  foun- 
tain, flows  from  him  into  all  the  creatures.  They  have  no 
reality  or  existence  but  in  him  ;  and  he  only  can  impart  that 
nennanency  to  them,  wliich  forms  the  continuance  of  their 
bcini^.     According  tQ  his  name  jfeh:/vaby  He  is  j  and  h^  a* 


S  P  I  R  I  T     OF     T  R  U  T  H.  i<^i 

lor.e  exists  0/ himself:  All  entities  are  in  hi.n  and  from  him, 
arc!  with  this  tlifi^'trence  likewise,  tliut  time  is  a|)j)licat.le  to 
them,  but  not  to  Him.  Ail  bc;ing,  but  the  DiviNi-:,  6,:iran  lo 
be:  whereas  J'  h.)vah  eter:ially  /'/,  and  only  /V,  in  an  unut- 
terable supremacy  of  iiutuie. 

it  must  be  tlic  samt  wiih  all  tlie  spiritual  and  invisible 
species  of  being,  as  it  is  with  the  vi.-,ible  and  material.  I'herc 
can  be  no  truth  i.i  mental  uci  or  energy,  but  as  it  proceeds 
from  this  root  of  truch,  which  com.iiUiicat.  s  what  is  co;n- 
municablc  of  its.  If  to  uU  existences,  accoidi  g  to  th-jir  orucr 
and  capacity.  The  gospel,  whicli  trears  oh  both  truth  in  es- 
sence and  truth  coramuiiicdted^  is  the  truth  oj  (jody  because  it 
both  proceeded  from  inin  as  its  cause,  and  retu*-jis  to  hini  and 
to  his  glory  as  its  end.  It  takes  in  ma  I's  salwition  .is  means 
or  uses  to  that  end:  but  this  s.dvation,  necessary  as  it  may 
be  to  the  happiness  of  a  fallen  creature,  can  be  no  more  the 
original  motive  of  God's  aclion  than  his  other  operations  in 
the  world.  He  will  ever  appear  to  be  his  own  motive,  hav- 
ing none  higher  or  lower  than  himself,  which  certainly  is 
suitable  to  his  perfedlion  ;  and  whatever  he  hath  wrought  in 
and  for  his  creatures,  began  with  himself,  and  therefore  not 
cccasionedhy  thtm.  The  proof  of  this  were  it  necessary, 
might  be  easily  given  at  large  from  his  own  revelation. 

Here  reason  seems  to  shew,  with  what  stricl  propriety  God 
hath  assum.ed  this  name  of  Truth.  But  it  was  only  the  re- 
velation of  God  himself  which  could  convince,  how  suitably 
and  justly  this  bright  attribute  operates  for  the  eternal  v/el- 
fare  and  salvation  of  sinners. 

In  the  holy  word,  this  title  of  truth  is  frequently  applied  to 
God;  and  when  any  matter  concerning  the  welfare  of  men  is 
mentioned,  where  all  the  comfort  depends  on  its  being //-//t^ 
there  is  constantly  a  reterencc  made  to  God  himself,  as  the 
source  from  whom,  being  the  truth  essential,  it  entirely  flows. 

An  argument  or  two  from  Scripture  will  serve  to  convince 
an  unprejudiced  mind,  both  that  this  title  of  the  truth  is  pro- 
per only  to  God  ;  and  that,  as  to  God  or  each  person  in  the 
Godhead,  it  is  also  properly  applicable  and  applied  to  the 
Holy  Ghost. 

In  Deut.  xxxii.  near  the  beginning,  Moses  publishes  the 
name  of  Jehovah,  and,  among  other  titles,  ascribes  to  him 
the  remarkable  one,  AL  the  Truth,  which  is  rendered  in 
our  translation,  God  of  truth,  but  more  justly  by  Jljntanus^ 
Deus  Veritas,  '^  God  the  truth." — But  the  apo's:lc  John 
says  ^i  John  v.  6.)  It  is  the  Spirit  that  bcare^h  "^itncss^  be- 
cause tbe  Sfirit  is  ,v5a;,*,^a/«)  THE  TRUTH.— Tiie  Spirit, 
tJierefore,  is  ji:now.  ;i,  A  ni:.i,  and  Al,  v,  inch  are  among 
the  titles  given  to  THU  Truth  in  L'euteroiiomy  alovemen- 
lione^. 


i62  S  P  I  R  I  T     or     T  R  U  T  H. 

In  Psalm  xxxi.  God  is  styled  Jehovah  Al  the  Truth,  or 
of  truth,  according:  to  our  translatioii. — But  the  Holy  Ghost 
is  named  THK  Truth,  and  Spirit  of  Tkutk.  Consi^quently 
he  is  JLHovAH  Al. 

Tne  prophet  Jtremiab  (ex.  lo.)  says,  Jehovah  Alehim 
IS  THE  Truth,  be  is  the  living  Alehim,  (or  Alehim  of  lives, 
i.  e.  ot  natural  and  spiritu:il  life,)  and  everlasting  King — But 
tlje  Spirit  is  the  Truth,  accordiiig  to  the  text  in  i  John 
V.  6.  And,  cherefoi-e,  is  Jehovah  Alehim,  the  Alehim  of 
li^^es  (as  ail  iive  by  hi.Ti)  and  the  everlasting  King. 

It  appears  from  hence,  that  truth  essential^  and  especially 
spiritual  truths  which  is  our  more  immediate  subjecl,  is  ap- 
plicable only  to  Deity.  Whatever  is  t,riie^  is  true  alone  in 
God,  and  must  have  some  respe6l  to  his  excellency  and  glo- 
ry. And  the  privation  of  spiritual  truth,  or  (what  is  just  the 
same)  a  separation  from  God,  is  darkness  and  error,  the  ef- 
feils  of  which  are  sin,  confusion,  and  misery.  Truth  in  the 
concrete  \%from  God  ;  as  truth  in  the  abstra(51  is  an  attribute 
cf  God,  or  rather  God  himself , 

For  this  reason  the  Psalmist  prays  to  Jehovah,  Lead  me  in 
THY  truth.  Ps.  XXV.  5.  But  Christ  himself  says,  that  the  Spi- 
PwIT  of  Truth  shall  guide  into  all  truth.  John  xvi.  13.  Of 
consequence,  the  Spirit  is  Jehovah  himself,  or  he  could  not, 
nt  that  time  and  in  all  times  to  come,  guide  into  the  truth  of 
Jehovah^  and  much  less  into  all  the  truth  necessary  to  sal. 
vasion. 

Nehtmiah  confesses  to  the  Lord,  Thou  gavest  thy  good  Spi- 
rit to  instruct  the  people  of  Israel,  or  rather  to  make  them  to 
understand.  Neh.  ix.  20.  But  it  is  very  particularly  deliver- 
ed to  those  very  Israelites  themselves,  in  Deut.  iv.  36.  that 
Jehovah  Alehim,  and  none  else  beside  him.,  out  cf  heaven 
made  than  to  hear  his  voice^  that  he  might  instruct  them.  The 
Spirit,  therefore,  is  Jehovah  Alehjm,  whose  office  it  is  to 
guide  his  people,  in  all  agcs,  into  all  the  truth. 

And  it  was  God,  and  his  revealed  truth,  which  these  Isra- 
elites were  constantly  opposing.  7'e  do  alm^ays  resist  (said 
Stephen)  the  Holy  Ghost;  as  your  fathers  did^  so  do  ye. 
A61S  vii.  51.  jjut  if  Deut.  ix.  7.  be  compared  with  Psalm  cvi. 
25.  it  v/ill  appear,  that  this  resistance  of  the  Israelites  was 
m:ule  to  Jehovah  hims.^if.  It  follows,  then,  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  Jehovah,  and,  as  such,  true  and  very  God. 

It  is  written  in  Isaiah  concerning  the  church  ;  All  thy 
children  shall  be  taught  of  God.  Isa.  liv.  13.  Wliich  promise 
is  referred  to  by  our  Lord  in  John  vi.  45.  But  it  is  said  also 
by  our  Lord  to  his  disciples,  The  H'jly  Ghost  shall  teach  you 
all  things.  John  xiv.  26.  And  tlie  apostle  assures  the  Cori^p- 
tbiansj  that  he  snake  of  divine  things,  not  in  the  ^sords  "xhicb 


S  P  I  R  I  T     o  F     T  R  U  T  H.  163 

^  Mail's  wisdom  teacbeth^  but  ^ubich  tbc  Holy  Ghost  teui.b' 
eth,    I  Cor.  ii.  13.   The  Holy  Gbost^  therefore,  i;j  God. 

Not  to  multiply  arguments  from  Scripture  under  this  head, 
let  one  more  suffice,  which  the  Avians  and  Sociniaiu  may  do 
well  to  consider. 

Tbe  Spirit  (says  the  apostle)  searchetb  all  things,  je,7, 
the  DEEP  THINGS  of  God,  For  'cvbat  jnan  kno^^ictb  tbc  things 
of  a  man^  save  tbt  spirit  of  man^  ivbicb  is  in  bini  P  Eze:i  so 
tbc  tbings  of  God  knowetb  no  man^  but  tbc  Spirit  of  God^  I 
Cor.  ii.  II. — But  the  psalmist,  speaking  of  J ebo-cab^  swys^ 
that  bis  understanding  is  infinite.  The  Si»irit,  therefore,  in 
order  to  search  all  tbiugs  and  the  deep  tbings  of  God,  must  ne- 
cessarily he  infnitc  too.  If  he  he  not  infinite,  he  cannot 
search  tlie  deep  infmitade  mentioned;  hut,  if  he  ^c  iniinite, 
he  must  he  co-essential  vvith  the  Godhead,  and  consequently 
God. — What  further  confirms  this  argument,  is  the  prophecy 
of  Isaiab  concerning  tbe  everlasting  God,  febovab^  of  whom 
it  is  said,  Tbere  is  no  searcbing  of  bis  understanding.  Isa.  xl. 
sS.  Ks  evidently  means,  not  hy  the  creatures^  not  by  ^v^y  fi- 
nite being.  But  if  the  Koly  Ghost  doth  search  tiiis  injmite 
understandings  or  the  di'ptbs  of  God  him.self ;  it  is  a  dtinon- 
stration  of  his  infinitude  and  deity,  and  that  nothing  can  pos- 
sibly be  hid  from  him.  The  psalmist,  upon  this  ground,  just- 
ly inquires,  IVbitber  sball  I  go  from  tby  Spirit?  or  ^ojbitbcr 
shall  I  go  from  tby  Face!  If  I  ascend  up  into  becven^  Thou 
art  tbere.  Psa.  cxxxix.  7.  W^hat  words  can  more  stronijly 
mark  the  omniscience  and  omnipresence  of  the  Holy  Spirit? 
What  could  more  dire6tly  assert  him  to  be  febovab  r^  '""  i  can 
go  no  where  from  thy  Spirit  ;  for  Tbou  art  every  where." 

It  was  a  great  expression  for  a  heathen,  tliat  ''  He  is  mo:t 
perfedl,  who  understands  all  things,  at  all  times,  and  all  toge- 
ther." Max.  Tyrius.  The  Spirit  of  God  so  understands  ;  or 
He  could  not  be  qualified  for  the  great  office  of  leading  the 
whole  compa*ny  of  tlie  faithful  into  all  truth.  No  created  be- 
ing can  be  omnipresent,  nor  omniscient,  nor  infinite.  Not 
the  brightest  angel  of  heaven  can  be  in  the  heartj  of  all  Cod's 
people  at  once^  helping  their  infirmities  every  nioinent^  and 
condu^fling  them  all  together  in  the  wav  of  truib..  They  are 
scattered  far  and  v»/ide.  They  all  v/ant  help  in  every  instant ; 
and  God  hath  promised,  that  in  every  instant  lie  will  water 
them. — Water  is  the  Spirit's  emblem,  and  he  is  poured  out, 
according  to  his  office,  upon  all  his  people,  throngli  all  ages^  m 
all  places^  and  upon  all  together.  Who  but  God  is  equal  to  a 
task  of  such  magnitutle,  power,  and  salvation?  Who,  but  God, 

*  It  has  been  v/ell  observed  by  an  able  Avrlter,  that  the  antithesis, 
in  this  place,  of  man  to  the  Hoij;  Ghost^  accordin.^-  lo  the  usual  style 
of  the  Scripture,  is  sufficient  aione  to  prove  the  Spirit  tj  be  God. 
Jones's  Cath.  Doct.  p.  26. 


i64  S  P  I  R  I  T     o  F     T  R  U  T  H. 

could^^  his  help  to  the  occasion,  with  such  exa6lness  an;l 
wisdom,  to  millions  ol  souls,  in  all  ages  and  countries  at  once  j 
so  that,  as  tbeir  day  ivas^  tbeir  particular  strength  sooitld  be  ? 
This  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  done,  this  he  doeth,  and  this  he 
will  do  to  the  end.  For  the  promise  of  his  gracious  aid  was 
not  only  to  the  jews  and  to  their  children,  but  to  ail  that  are 
afar  ojf,,  even  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call*  Acts  ii. 
39.  'Ihis  tree  donation  extends  to  all  his  people  that  are  afar 
GIT,  in  point  of  t'lme^  or  plcce^  or  disposition  of  soul.  They 
all  meet  in  this  one  eternal  Spirit,  and  are  brought  nigh  by 
the  blood  of  Christ.  And  if  all  this  be  done  in  them  and  for 
them  by  one  great  agent ;  what  absurdity,  as  well  as  blasphe- 
my, is  it  to  suppose,  that  this  agent  can  be  less  than  the  Om- 
nipotent ?  A  man,  who  can  delioerately  utter  such  a  position-^ 
must  not  only  uadersLand  very  little  of  the  Bible,  or  the  ex- 
perimental tiuihs  which  it  contains,  but  must,  allowing  this 
Bible  to  be  a  divine  revelation,  make  war  against  the  plainest 
deduLLions  which  reason  itself  can  make  from  it.  For  as  this 
revtlauo.i  scutes,  that  the  whole  of  man's  salvation  is  plan- 
ned, elfecied  and  com,>leted  by  God  alone  ;  while,  at  the  same 
time,  It  represents  tlie  particular,  the  constant,  tiie  effica- 
cious operation  of  the  Holy  Ghost  through  ttie  whole  of  it, 
we  cannot,  v/ith  any  consistency,  avoid  ti)e  immeciiate  con- 
clusion, that  he  is,  upon  ilus^  very  account,  God  over  all^ 
blessed  for  ev^'r,  i  his  i.uth,  so  coiisentaneous  with  positive 
revelation  and  those  plain  inferences  which  reason  fairly 
makes  iVoin  it,  one  would  think,  would  be  obvious  to  every 
candid  inquirer,  and  shine  bright  enough  to  confound  the 
dark  prejudices  oi  all  opposers. 

But,  hovyever  \wq  may  err  by  ourselves  or  in  following, 
ethers,  we  surely  cannot  be  mistaken  m  an  humble  depend- 
ence for  instru6lion  upon  God.  He  hach  promised  to  give 
his  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  him  ;  and  his  word  declares,  that 
the  Spirit  13  truth^  who  therefore  cannot  give  a  falsj  evidence 
oi bimsilf  He  is  the  Spirit  of  irutb^  and  cannot  misguide 
«s.  He  IS  Jehovah  Alt  him  the  Tra  th,  (jer.  x.  10.  j  and 
therefore  able  to  effevjl  all,  which  he  hath  promised  to  do  or 
bestow.  Hence,  to  his  people,  who  believe  in  and  rest  upon 
him,  he  gives  an  earnest  of  himself  in  their  hearts  ;  by  con- 
ferring, what  in  the  Old  Testament  is  called,  the  peace  of 
/rz//i6,  and,  in  the  New,yr>'  in  the  Holy  Ghost.  They  can  say, 
with  holv  boldness,  The  tntlb  d^velletb  in  us^  and  shall  be  with 
us  for  ever^  (2  John  2.)  for  they  find,  according  to  the  pro- 
mise of  Christy  that  the  truth  hath  modt  ihcmjret-  They  were 
slaves  once  to  the  world,  fltsh  and  devil;  but  now  are  brought 
into  a  glorious  liberty.  They  love  truth  and  righteousness, 
Vv'hich  they  formerly  loathed;  and  they  tremble  at  sin,  which 


S  1^  I  R  I  T     o  F     T  R  U  T  II.  16!; 

heretofore  they  had  loved.  Their  happiness  *  lies  entirely 
in  their  duty  and  love  to  God  ;  and  they  know,  by  the  witness 
of  God^s  Splric  ^jjltb  their  spirits^  that  there  is  no  method  of 
maintaining  and  increasing  that  hap[)iness,but  by  cleaving  to 
and  depending  upon  him  in  humility  and  holiness.  He,  that 
wallceth  not  according  to  this  rule  (if  the  Scripture  may  dj- 
termine)  is  a  liar^  and  the  Truth  is  not  in  him  ;  or,  in  other 
words,  be  is  sensual^  not  having  the  Spirit. 

In  the  Old  Testament,  there  is  a  very  particular  and  fre- 
quent conjundion  of  mercy  and  truth.  They  are  attributes  of 
the  Godhead,  and,  in  this  conjun6lion,  are  used  as  such. 

As  they  operate  in  this  fallen  world,  they  beautifully  dis- 
play the  two  distindV,  yet  inseparable  persons  in  Jehovah.  It 
seems  no  strain  to  say,  that  the  attributes  are  sometimes  used, 
by  a  metonymy,  for  the  persons  themsches.  Thus  mercy 
frequently  stands  for  the  great  Redeemer,  by  whom  alone 
mercy  did  and  could  come  to  man."!*  And  truth  as  frequently 
denotes  the  Spirit  of  Truth.,  by  whom  alone  the  redeemed  are 
led  into  truth.  Tiiey  are  inseparable  whether  in  se  or  ad  ex- 
tra ;  that  is,  whether  they  are  viewed  as  attributes  in  the 
Godhead,  or  exercised  officially  by  the  Son  and  Spirit.  If  a- 
ny  soul  partake  of  mercy.,  it  is  in  stri6l  and  indissoluble  union 
with  truth  :  That  is,  if  a  man  taste  of  the  redemption  of  Je- 
sus  Christ.,  it  is  through  and  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  No  man  can 
truly  call  Christ  his  Lord,  but  by  the  Spirit  of  truth.  And 
this  furnishes  the  criterion  or  rule,  so  often  proposed  in  the 
Scripture,  that  a  man  should  examine  himself  by  :  Kno=x  yc 
not.,  that  Christ  is  in  you.,  except  ye  be  reprobates  f  It  appeals 
to  their  internal  perceptions,  for  their  assurance  of  his  r.icrcy. 
Againj  If  any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ.,  he  is  none  of 
bisi  This  applies  to  the  same  demonstration  of  sensible  con- 
sciousness, by  which  a  person  knows  any  thing  to  be  true, 
and  much  more  when  he  enjoys  God,  who  is  the  fulness  oi 
truth.  For  it  would  be  strange  indeed,  that  a  creature  should 
possess  such  operative  principles,  and  never  know  or  be  sen- 
sible of  the  possession.  Thus  mercy  and  truth  meet  together  ; 
and  thus  all  the  paths  of  Jehovah  are  mercy  and  truth  ;  be- 
cause he  walketh  among  men  for  salvation  in   no  other  way, 

*  "  Certainly  (says  Lord  Bacon  in  his  Essays)  it  is  heaven  upon 
earth,  to  have  a  man's  mind  move  in  charity,  rest  in  Providence, 
and  turn  upon  the  poles  of  truth." 

t  The  prophets,  and  even  the  antient  Jews,  understood  the  yl/<r^- 
Wa/z  by  this  name  of  Mercy:  And  the  Messiah  h\n\->^\i  leaves  no 
room  to  doubt,  that  the  Spirit  is  the  Truth.  See  several  testimo- 
nies to  thiseffea  in  that  incomparable  book  De.  Vent,  Rel.  Chnst. 
by  the  celebrated  Mornay  du  Plessis*  c  28. 

VoL  n.  Y 


66  S  P  I  R  I  T     o  F     T  R  U  T  H. 

but  that  of  grace  through  the  Son  and  Spirit.  There  is  no 
approacii  to  the  Father^  but  by  Jesus  Christy  and  the  Holy 
G^ost.  Hence,  believers  are  exhorted  to  call  upon  the  Fa- 
ther in  the  name  of  the  Son,  by  the  Son  himself;  which  would 
have  been  a  useless  injunclion,  if  they  mi^bt  have  been  ac- 
cepted without  it.  And  hence,  likewise,  the  same  unerring 
wisdom  halh  said,  that  they,  who  worship  God,  must  worship 
i?i  spirit  and  trutb^  or  they  worship  him  not  at  all.  Agreeably 
to  this,  it  is  said.  The  Lord  is  nigh  un^o  all  them  that  call 
upon  him  ;  but  it  is  said  with  an  explanation,  that  it  might  be 
particularly  noticed,  to  all  that  call  upon  him  in  Truth.  Psa. 
cxlv.  i8.  The  TpwUTH  itself  must  enable  the  heart  truly  to 
call  upon  God,  by  freeing  it  from  the  dominion  of  sin,  and  by 
releasing  it  to  a  state  of  grace.  In  this  state,  the  Spirit 
belptth  the  injirmities  of  his  people,  and  workcth  in  them  both 
to  %vili  and  to  do.  They  will  the  truth  in  his  willingness,  and 
they  act  in  the  truth  by  his  energy.  Thus  a61:ing  and  a<Sled 
upon,  not  by  a  llavish  constraint  but  by  a  joyful  harmony  of 
spirit,  they  are  said  to  do  things,  which,  of  themselves,  they 
are  njorally  and  naturally  incapable  of  doing.  Very  remark- 
?.bl\  are  tlicy  said,  in  this  view,  to  work  out  their  own  salva~ 
tion^  by  an  apostle  who  affirms,  that  of  himself  he  knew  Clo- 
thing ;  BECAUSE  it  is  God  vthich  worketh  in  them*  They  can- 
not, therefore,  but  work  ;  for  they  have  an  almighty  helper, 
and  are  privileged  to  woik  with  him,  and  by  him.  In  another 
place  they  are  said  to  p'-irify  their  souls  in  obeying  the 
tr-'iD — but  it  is  added,  THR..UGH  the  Spirit.  The  Spirit  of 
truth  enabled  them  to  obey  his  own  truth  revealed,  and,  in 
the  obedience  of  faith,  th.y  obtained  remission  of  sins  and 
justification  of  their  pero._/ns.  The  excellent  archbishop 
Leigh  ton  says  upon  the  passage  ,  ^'  It  is  certain  and  undeni- 
*^  ble,  that  the  soul  itself  doth  a6l  in  believing  or  obeying 
*^  th'j  truth,  but  not  of  itself;  it  is  not  the  first  principle  of 
''•  motion.  They  purify  their  souls,  but  it  is  by  the  Spirit.. 
^'  They  do  it  by  his  enlivening  power,  and  a  purifying  virtue 
*'  received  froiu  him.  Faith,  or  obeying  the  truth,  works  this 
"  ])urity  :  But  the  Holy  Ghost  works  that  faith,  as  in  the 
"  forecited  place,  God  is  said  to  purify  their  hearts  by  faith, 
"He  doeth  that,  by  giving  them  the  Holy  Ghost." 

These  expressions  of  Scripture  should  be  well  considered 
by  those,  who  contend  for  iYxq  free  will  ^iuAfree  agency  of  the 
natural  man.  We  can  only  say  of  so  high  an  opinion  in  this 
place,  that,  in  order  to  be  a  free  agent^  not  only  man,  but  e- 
very  being,  mus-t  be  entirely  independent ;  for  how  can  he  be 
free,  who  depends  from  moment  to  moment  upon  the  will  and 
power  oi  another  hcmg  for  the  very  existence  and  support  of 
his  own  ?  And  if  he  be  not  free,  and  hath  not  art"*  unlimited 
enjoyment  of  existence  ;  how  is  it  possible  that  he  can  be  free 


S  P  I  R  I  T     o  ir    T  R  U  T  H.  i6^ 

respe(5ling  an  unlimited  exercise  of  it?  Tiie  apostle  says,  in 

Goa  w^  live;  we  derive   our  existence  from   his  will in 

God  we  move^  or  are  moved ;  we  take  our  adlivity  from  his 
power in  God  we  have  our  being  ;  we  enjoy  the  continu- 
ance of  both,  in  utter  dependence  upon  him.  This  or.e  text, 
duly  considered  in  iill  its  coiinedtioi^.s  and  consequences,  ought 
to  humhle  the  insolence  of  man,  wiien  he  assumes  to  be,  whut 
€ven  angels,  pure  and  perfed  as  they  are,  cannot  veniure  to 
claim.  Tibry  SLVQ  minisiring  s'piiiti^  they  serve^  they  ol/cy: 
And  they  fiiid  that,  in  all  their  duty,  is  compnzcd  (what  rcil 
Gliristians  also  fi-id)   the  most  ^*  perfeCl  freedom." 

Besldv  s  ;  how  obviously  is  it  the  setting  imperiurn  in  rmpe- 
rio^  a  rule  against  a  rule  ;  if  we  s:aLc  more  ia<i::p?ndt;ni.  prin- 
ciples than  one,  in  the  ordination  and  co.  troul  of  all  thin7;s.' 
And  if  there  be  any  thing  independent  of  God,  or  any  being 
which  can  frustrate  his  designs,  or  a:^.y  event  which  can  a^  '.se 
without  his  pcrmis^.ion;  it  seenis  sjinething  more  than  a  li- 
miting of  the  Most  High,  for  it  takes  away  his  infinitude  r  id 
deity.  As  the  infinite  God,  he  must  include  all  ihi'igs;  tor 
that  cannot  be  infinite,  which  is  excepted  and  bounded  m  any. 
.Upon  this  account,  the  psilmist  could  even  say;  If  1  descend 
into  bell^  tbou  art  there;  though  the  manner  oi  Go. I's  pre- 
sence be  very  different  in  hell  and  heaven,  (^od  can  pervade 
hell  and  the  deepest  recesses  of  the  damned,  as  a  pure  and 
refined  spirit  can  grossness,  without  being  affe6led  by  evil. 
We  may  therefore  safely  talk  of  God's  free  will,  but  very 
dangerously  of  man's,  when  not  in  strici  conjunction  wich 
and  dependence  upon  his  Maker's.  In  this  dependence  it  may 
be  allowed  to  be  free,  because  it  then  will  be  righteous;  and 
all  righteousness  is  freedom,  and  essential  to  it.  Nor  need 
we  fear  the  lirrdtation  of  the  human  will  in  this  dependence  ; 
unless  we  can  suppose  that  the  human  will  may  overpass  ^;z- 
^0J.';:<y6'^  holiness  and  truth. 

One  observation  more  shall  suffice,  in  this  Essay,  to  prove 
the  necessity  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  agency  for  the  instruuiion  of 
his  people  in  the  truth  of  his  will ;  and  consequently  from  the 
nature  of  that  agency,  the  divinity  of  his  person.  Christ  said 
to  his  disciples,  just  before  he  departed  from  the  world;  It 
is  expedient  far  you^  that  I  go  avjay  ;  for  if  I  go  not  away^  the 
Comforter  will  not  come  unt-o  you  ;  and  then  he  proceeds  to 
explain  his  office  and  chara^er.  Upon  a  review  of  the  whole 
of  that  passage,  it  is  plain,  that  the  Mediator,  as  God  manifest 
in  the  fleshy  was  about  to  complete  his  oilicial  partiii  the  cove- 
nant oi  grace,  styled  the  work  which  the  Father  had  given  bun 
to  do;  that  though  this  work  was  perfedl;  in  itself,  and  the 
ground  of  salvation  was  finished  for  the  redeemed,  insomuch 
as  to  be  incapable  of  any  addition  from  all  the  creatures  ;  yet 
tliat  it  was  not  and  could  not  be  finished  ik  liiem,  but  by  th« 


i68  S  P  I  R  I  T     OF     T  R  U  T  H. 

advent  of  the  Comforter.   It  also  appears,  that,  in  order  tQ 
prepare  their  souls  for  the  reception  of  so  great  a  niercy,  it  is 
the  oflice  and  work  of  the  Comforter,  to  convert  the  people 
of  God  in  their  ujidcrstandingf  from  error  to  truth,  to  change 
tlicir  hearts  and  affections^  to  apply   the  salvation  of  Jesus 
for  the   remission  of  their  sins   and  their  justification  before 
the  Father,  to   preserve,    strengthen  and  settle  them   to   the 
end  ;   and,  in  a  word,  to  do  all  that  remained  to  be  done  in 
them,  for  them,  and  by  them,  previous  to  that  glory,  to  v/hich 
he  finally    and  infallibly  conducls   them.     It   was  expedient, 
therefore,   that  Christ  should  depart  upon  the  fininishing  bis 
work,   that  the   agency  of  the  Holy  Ghost  might  eminently 
ensue  in  his  crowning  grace,  and  yield  his  own  sealing  pledge 
pf  eternal  glory.   How  expedient  all  this  was,  we  have  a  proof 
upon  fa6l  to  convince  us.     No  mortals  could  be  more  unlike 
themselves,  in  point  of  knowledge,  faith,  and  courage,  than 
the  apostles  were  before  and  after  Christ's  ascension  to  hea- 
ven. And  ii'i?(5  made  the  difference  f   It  is  undeniably  evident, 
the  Holy  Ghost  alone  upon  the  day  of  Pentecolt.  View  them 
from  that  time  forwards,  and  they  appear  heroes  of  grace,  or 
rather  lambs  in  holiness   and  lions  in  boldness.     Peter^  who 
.denied  Christ  with  oaths,  and  all  the  rest  v/ho  ran  away  from 
their  Master  andfled,  rejoiced  from  that  day  to  suffer  reproach 
and  even  death  itself  for  his  sake.     Could  any  created  being 
■work  this  astonishing  change,  and  by  a  visible  intervention 
equally  asf-onishmg  ?   A  man   must  have  the    credality  of  an 
atheist,  who  pretends  to   think  that  there  is  no   God  at    all, 
before  he  can  believe  that  any  being  but  God  could  work  all 
this  and  carry  it  on  against  the  utmost  malice  and  opposition 
of  the  v/orld.     The  same  proof  upon  fa6l  is   carried  down  to 
this  day  in  the   heart  of  every  believer,   who  can  truly  say, 
*'  Once    I  was   darkness,   but  now   am  I  light  in   the  Lord ; 
once  I  was  dead  in  sin,  but  now  am  alive  unto  God  ;  and  once 
I  was  without  hope  and  an    atheist  in   the  world,  but  now   I 
have  obtained  hopes  full  of  inimortality,  and  a  Comforter  who 
will  never  depart  from  me." 

The  word  Trutb^  O  believer,  contains  a  sense  in  its  origi- 
nal language,  which  is  both  precious  to  thy  soul  and  confirmed 
by  thy  experience.  It  sisnifios  notovily  truth  in  the  abstract 
which  carries  along  with  it  the  idea  o^ firmness  and  stability^ 
and  so  relates  to  Gv)d  himself;  but  it  also  signifi<js  to  nourish 
Kvith  the  truths  and  bears  the  sense  of  the  apostle's  expicSr 
.sion,  as  neiv-born  babes  desire  the  sincere  {or  pure  J  milk  of  the 
'word^  that  ye  may  gro'w  thereby.  In  tlie  former  view,  thou 
hast  reason  to  rejoice  in  the  never-failing  ground  of  the 
Truth,  because  it  is  a  rock  and  full  of  perfection  ;  but,  in 
the  latter  view,  thou  hast  a  title  to  be  exceeding  glad,  be- 
.cause  of  that  nourishment^  which  it  supplies  to  thy  soul,  of 


S  P  I  R  I  T     o  F     T  R  U  T  H.  $69 

truth  communicable^  with  all  its  train  of  graces  and  blessings. 
The  one  is  truth  as  the  spring,  and  therefore  inexhaustible: 
The  other  is  truth  in  the  stream,  and  therefore  to  believers 
gracious  and  accessible.  In  the  former  resped,  it  is  illustri- 
ous ;  and,  in  the  latter,  comfortable.  It  is  comfortable,  dear 
Christian^  whosoever  thou  art  who  hast  a  right  to  that  name  ; 
it  is  full  of"  sweet,  pleasant,  and  unspeakable  comfoii"  to 
tbce.  Thou  hast  an  infallible  rule,  and  an  infallible  guide; 
the  one  in  the  word  of  truth,  and  the  other  in  the 
Spirit  of  Truth,  This  guide,  who  laid  down  that  rule,  ap- 
plies the  rule  to  thy  heart,  works  by  it  in  thee,  and  accord- 
ing to  it  for  thee.  This  rule  is  the  sensible  manifestation  of 
invisible  truth,  so  far  as  it  concerns  th\-  happiness  and  sal- 
vation. He  hath  nev/-created  thee  In  the  holiness  of  truth 
(Eph.  iv.  24.)  and  he  conducls  thee  in  the  truth  anu  beauty 
of  holiness  trom  aay  to  day.  He  doth  not  meicly  prescribe, 
but  enables.  Thou  hast  no  mtntal  powerb,  capable  of  dis- 
covering the  things  of  God,  or  capable  of  exercising  them- 
vselves  upon  those  things:  It  is  God  the  Spirit  alone,  who 
teachetb  thee  10  profit,  li  all  the  saints  of  God  were  equal  in 
spiritual  endowintnts  with  the  apostles,  if  all  the  apostles,  to- 
gether with  those  saints,  could  descend,  from  lieaven  to  in- 
■stru6l  one  soul,  and  if  all  of  them  had  the  eloquence  of  angels, 
or  the  highest  created  eloquence  and  wisdom  which  can  be 
imagined;  vain  would  be  their  united  efforts,  unattended 
by  this  Holy  Spirit,  to  translate  that  soul  from  darkness  to 
lights  and  to  give  it  that  right  understanding  of  the  truth, 
which  consists  in  the  real  enjoyment  and  participation  of  it. 
They  would  all  plant  and  water  in  vain^  unless  God  should 
give  the  increase-X  What  an  argument  is  this,  to  thy  soul, 
of  the  divinity  and  glory  of  thy  holy  teacher! — And  if  he 
hath  once  taught  thee  the  v/ay  of  life  and  truth,  shall  he  not 
teach  thee  to  the  end?  Who  can  pervert  his  counsels,  or 
frustrate  his  designs?  It  is  God,  who  hath  drav/n  the  plan. 
Who  can  obstruct  the  execution  to  its  full  efte6l  ?  It  is  God, 
who  woiketh  all  in  all.  Who  can  plunge  Into  error,  or  into 
hell  the  consequence  of  error?  It  is  the  Spirit  of  truth,  and 
who  will  lead  into  all  truth  for  ever.  Fear  not,  fainting  soul, 
thou  hast  not  only  an  all-wise  condu61:or,  but  an  almighty  a- 
gent,  who  hath  undertaken  to  bring  thee  safe  home.  Thy 
safety  is  of  the  Lord^  and  not  from  thyself,  noriVom  the  whole 
creation  together.  Without  him,  all  the  angels  in  heaven 
could  not   preserve    thee   for  a  moment :    Nor   without  him, 

t  Non  sujjicit  homini  spirituali  Mosen  aliquem  oudivisse^  aid 
apostohnn,  aut,  si  forte ^  cahstem  cngelum^  nisi  arcanus  ccccsscrit 
DiviNi  Spiritus  Sermo^  minisirorum  condones  animo  insinuans^tx- 
ponensy  confrmans,   atque  obsignans,     Witsij  Misc.  Sacr.  Vol.  li- 


170  SPIRIT     or     GRACE. 

could  they  even  support  themselvts.  How  !i,.n  shouldest 
thou  stay  thyself  upon  his  tvcrlastivg  jrms  I  H.-  cannot  ue- 
ccive  thee,  for  he  is  the  t;-uth  itsci  ;  ho  car.not  torsake  thee, 
for  he  hath^')r^;,\:jj'^  to  keep  thee;  he  cannot  be  overcome, 
for  he  is  tht  in\)iniiJ^t  Uoa\  Thou,  O  feeble  fainting  heart, 
art  more  his  care,  if  there  be  any  difference  in  the  divine 
care,  than  the  strongest  believers.  His  holy  word  is  more 
frcijueniiy  addressed  to  such  as  thee,  than  to  them-  O  be- 
lieve this  record,  which  is  of  much  importance  to  thy  happi- 
ness, and  which  in  its^df  must  be  both  faithful  aid  true.  Pray 
to  this  author  of  truth  to  bless  thee  with  the  clear  perception 
and  enjoyment  of  it;  and  thou  shalt  not  pray  in  vain.  He 
will  give  it  thee  if  thf  bead,  in  such  measure  as  shall  be  expe- 
dient, but  certainly  he  will  pour  it  into  thy  heart,  so  as  lo  in- 
duce a  solid  and  a  com *"oi  table  experience.  His  truth  is  not  a 
shadow  or  a  phantom,  but  substantial  life  and  everlasting 
love  ;  and  thou  shalt  possess  the  delightful  pledge  of  it  now, 
and  tlie  full  enjoyment  in  God's  due  time.  In  one  word;  be 
'vj ill  guide  thee  with  bis  counsel^  and  aftev'ward  receive  thee  ta 
glory. 


■:■«? 


SPIRIT    OF     GRACE, 


THE  word  grace  is  used  in  two  significations.  In  one 
sense,  it  is  taken  to  convey  the  abstract  notion  o^  Jree 
favor  or  gratuitous  bounty  ;  and,  in  the  other,  to  imply  the 
positive  possession  of  that  divine  principle  within  the  soul. 
In  the  first  instance,  we  may  contemplate  what  it  is  in  itself  i 
and,  in  the  other,  its  operation  and  effecc,  or  what  it  is  to  us. 
In  the  former  case,  we  should  remember,  that  it  exists  only 
in  God  as  the  giver ^  and,  in  the  latter,  thut  it  descends  to 
man  as  God'syrt-c  ^^//>.  Tliese  distinctions  are  included  in 
the  term  grace,  with  all  their  relations  and  consecpiences. 

Grace,  in  both  thes:;  respe6ls,  is  the  cause  and  the  nicans 
of  all  true  blessedness  to  man  :  A  id  G  'd  the  H:»Iy  GhosL  is 
called  the  spirit  of  s^race,  becausj  he  is  the  fountairi  from 
which  this  grace  doth  wholly  flow.  He  is  indeed  grace  it- 
self, though,  in  condescension  to  our  apprehensions,  he  hath 
been  pleased  to  convey  the  notices  of  his  love  by  figures  and 
expressions,  which  st)  ike  our  senses  and  apply  to  the  obje^.i 
we  perceive  about  us.  We  are  not  able  to  survey  the  uidi- 
mited  ocean  of  goodness  ;  nor,  if  our  caj^.acities  were  enlarg- 
ed to  ten  thousand  times  their  present  dimensions,  qouM  wc 


S  P  I  R  I  T     OF     G  R  A  C  E.  171 

enjoy  all  that  is  to  be  enjoyed  of  it.  God  would  gtill  ])e  an 
INFINITL  bcj  ond  us  ;  and  ilie  most  we  could  lectrive,  either 
in  such  a  state  or  our  ovvu,  would  only  be  a  lar;i;er  or  a  siiial- 
ler  drop  of  an  unbounded  sea.  We  could  say,  with  certainly, 
from  our  participation  of  its  nature,  that  it  is  good  and  very 
good  ;  but  bovj  much  so,  it  would  be  a  depth  and  a  breadth 
eternally  beyond  us. 

The  Spirit  is  called^r^iTf,  or  the  Spirit  of  grace  ^h^z^^Msz  hs 
is  the  convincer  and  conductor  of  grace  to  the  souis  of  his 
people,  Christ  suffered  and  obtained  ;  and  therefore  grace 
came  by  bi?n  (John  i.  ly,)  And  Christ  v/2Lsfuli  oy  grace  ijonn 

I.  14.)  because  he  was  full  of  the  Spirit.  He  received  ti^ie 
Spirit  likewise  'Viitbout  measure  ;  because  he  had  an  infinite 
capacity,  which  cannot  be  said  of  any  creature:  And  the  spi- 
lUT  itself  must  therefore  be  immeamrable  and  lnfini:e  to  fill 
that  capacity  :  and  these  are  terms,  which  can  be  applied  10 
none  but  God. 

The  Scriptures  have  many  passages  of  this  sort,  which  may 
strike  every  gracious  mind  with  full  conviction  of  the  proper 
divinity  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  v/hich  ought  to  silence  the 
blaspheaiy  of  those  who  have  ventured  to  deny  it.  His  vvord 
witnesses  for  him  to  all  men;  and  he  witnesses  with  his  word, 
by  a  most  gracious  and  particular  evidence  indeed,  to  the 
hearts  of  his  people.  Let  us  consider  then  some  testimonies 
of  his  divine  glory,  as  they  occur  under  this  name  01  his  of- 
fice, or  in  relation  to  it. 

Sanilification,  considered  as  an  a-^l:  of  grace  noon  the  soul, 
cannot  be  performed  or  maintained  by  the  agency  of  any  crea- 
ture. It  is  ahvays  ascribed  to  God  tliroughout  the  ijible. 
Whatever  means  are  prescribed  or  used,  they  have  apparent- 
ly no  efiicacy  but  by  him.  The  God  of  peace  must  sanctify 
bis  people  wbolly^  or  they  cannot  be  truly  san^lifiea  at  all. 

This  operation  is  ascribed  to  the  Father,  in  Jtidcy  v.  i.  who 
addresses  his  epistle  to  tbem  tbat  are  sanctified  by  Gad  the  Fa- 
tbcr.      It  is   ascribed  to  the  Son,  the  Lord  Chr.'st,  in  Hch.  ii.> 

I I,  and  other  places.  And  it  is  no  Jess  directly  referred  to 
the  Holy  Gbost  in  Rom.  xv.  16. — This  to  a  fair  and  candid 
mind  would  alone  be  a  sullicient  evid.-nce  of  the  equality  and 
co-existence  of  the  three  persons  in  the  Godhead;  for  if  an 
a6l,  vvhich  can  only  with  propriety  be  ascribed  to  God,  be  e- 
qually  ascribed  to  three  distinct  persons,  it  proves  that  crcb 
of  these  persons  is  God,  and  that  they  (botli  in  union  anddis- 
tin61ion)  have  one  common  intercommunity  in  the  divine  na- 
ture, v/iiich  at  the  same  time  must  be  oke  in  itself,  or  such 
intercommunity  could  not  subsist.  There  must  be  an  homo- 
geneity of  essence  or  existence  in  the  three  persons  ;  for  a 
division  of  substance  would  be  a  diuerence  of  mind,  v/ill,  and 
operation,  and  of   course,  a  gross    trilheiain   contrary  to   the 


iyi  S  P  I  R  I  T     o  F     G  R  A  C  E. 

Bi:)le,  which  declares  that  Jehovah  is  ONE  Jehovah.  l>cut. 
VI.  4.  Bat,  stating  the  do6lrine  of  three  persons,  to  whom 
severally  a.id  distinclly  are  referred  several  agencies  and  ope- 
rations, which,  though  they  vary,  are  notwithstanding  impu- 
table to  none  but  Deity;  we  find  an  harmony  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, respeoVmg  the  nature  of  God's  unity  and  personality, 
which,  withodt  tills  dodlrine,  is  most  evidently  broken.  If,- 
therefore,  God  only  can  sancliFy  the  ungodly  ;  and  if  we  find, 
that  the  ^>/y  Spirit  doth  sanctify  them  :  it  proves  most  in- 
concestably,  that  he  is  God,  and  consequently  the  great  objeviV 
of  piaiSvi  and  adoration. 

it  is  also  true,  that  no^  peculiar  attribute  of  God  can  bv^ 
pr)pjrly  ascrih;id  to  a  creature.  One  creature  maybe  used 
as  an  instru>Tierit  to  convey  t\\za;yency  of  that  attribute  to  an- 
other creature  ;  but  it  is  not  inber^nt  in  him,  nor  is  it  in  his 
power  to  use  it,  when,  or  hovv,  or  where  he  pleases.  NoWy- 
grace  is  a  peculiar  attribute  of  GoJ  in  every  stri6t  sense  of 
the  t^rin.  Hi  only  has  it,  as  the  fountain.  He  only  can  give 
it,  as  a  strea.n  from  the  fountain.'  Whatever  the  first  angel 
or  tne  first  saint  in^lory  n-i.iy  posses  of  grace,  it  is  not  their 
own  radicail)'.  They  enjoy  it  by  donation,  and  by  tha  dona- 
tion of  God.  They  are  what  th:y  are  by  his  free  favour  and 
bounty.  He  is  therefore  called  ibd  GoJ  of  all  grace.  1  Pet.  v. 
10.  There  is  no  grace  but  from  him.  Christ  is  said  to  be- 
stow grace,  Eph,  iv.  7.  because  there  is  no  grace  but  by  him. 
And  the  Holy  Ghost  is  called  reps^atedly  the  Spirit  of  grace, 
because  there  is  no  giace  but  with  him.  He  is,  therefore, 
conjointly  with  the  Father  and  the  Son,  true  and  very  God. 

The  gifts  of  grace,  and  the  attestations  of  them  in  the 
working  of  miracles,  are  directly  applied  in  Scripture  to  the 
Holy  Spirit  ;  and  so  dire6lly  arc  they  applied  to  him,  that  it 
is  affirmed,  that  no  man  can  say^  knowing  what  he  says,  that 
Jesus  is  the  Lord^  or  Jehovah,  but  by  the  Holy  Gbost^  because 
without  the  Holy  Ghost,  in  strict  truth  he  can  know  nothing 
of  the  matter.  He  may  use  the  words  and  syllables  ;  but  he 
has  no  demonstration  or  conviftion  of  the  thing.  Our  suffici- 
ency (says  the  same  apostle)  is  of  God*  It  is  God  alone,  who 
can  controul  the  powers  of  nature,  and  interrupt  those  laws 
of  being,  which  he  hath  placed  in  the  world  of  matter.  It  is 
God  alone,  who  can  govern  in  the  spiritual  and  invisible 
world,  and  direct  efTe6ts  in  the  souls  of  men,  which  can  be  as- 
cribed to  no  subordinate  or  created  caase.  This  none  but  an 
atheist  can  deny.  But  the  Holy  (rhost  is  expressly  said  by 
the  apostle  in  i  Cor.  xii.  to  have  accomplished  all  this,  Tlie 
v/ord  of  wisdom  and  of  knowledge,  the  grace  of  faith  and  the 
gifts  of  healing,  the  working  of  miracles  and  the  power  of 
prophecy,  the  discernment  of  spirits  with  the  variety  and  in- 
interpretation  of  tongues,    are  ALL  ^^vvcugbt  by   one   and- 


S  P  I  R  I  T     o  F     G   R  A  C  E.  ly^ 

't'liF.    sflf-sAjMe    spirit,'  dividin(^  lo  tocry   man    s:'jcraU\ 
AS  HK  WILL.      And  yet,  in  all  \.hQ&^  diversities  of  op.-rauo>:\ 
it  is  tbc    SAME  GOjJ  sx>ljicb  ^orkclo  all  in  ail.      The  Koly 
Ghost,  consequently,  is  this  same  God:  An. I  ;i  nraii  must,  re- 
sist  ail  sorts  ol'  evidence,  delivered  from  tlie  senses  und  tes- 
timonies of  others,  oppose  even  Lrte  most  cor.i.iion  pi  i::cl')Ics  of 
ratiocination,  and.  rcnoui.ce  the  Uible  itself,  wiieu  lie  denies 
this  conclusion.      iWmX  yet  it  must  Lo  owned,  there  are  peo- 
ple who,  in  the  face  of  such  testimonies,  do  venture  unon  tl.is 
denial,  of  whose  mental  accomplishments  in  other  tilings  cliers 
can  be  no  doubt. —  We  Ci^n   only   take  up   the   words  of  the 
prophet  concerning-  them  :   Tb(i  ivist;  7nen — bwcc  rejected  ih<: 
^vcrd  of  tbc  Lord;  and  what  ^suisd-jin  is  in  ibt-m  P  Jer.  \ili.  o. 
Justification^  another  aol  of  divine  grace,  is  from  God.      It 
is  ONZ  6'ot/ (saitli  the  apostle)  wbicb  s  ball  justify  tbc  ciicuin' 
cision  byjaitb^  and  tbc  uncircumcision  tbrouirbfaiib.     Ivom. 
iii.   30.     It   is  God  tbat  justificib.    Rom.    vii:.    33. — Bac  be- 
lievers arc  justified^  in  tba  name  oftbt  Lord  fcsus^  and  by  tbc 
SpiniT  of  our  God.    1  Cor.  vi.  11. —  The   ISpirit    th.crefore  is 
God;   Or,  there  are  more  Gods  than  one. 

One  of  the  greatest,  if  not  the  greatest,  operation  of  pow- 
er in  the  heart,  is  the  creation  or  donation  oijaiib.  Tl.e  a- 
postle  says,  /;  is  not  of  ourselves  :  It  is  tbc  gift  of  God.  Ej)Ii. 
ii.  8. — But  he  also  says,  in  another  place,  ihdlj'aiib  is  given 
BY  tbc  Spirit.  I  Cor.  xii.  9. — The  Spirit,  therefore,  is  God. 
All  the  work  of  grace  in  the  Soul  is  lo  prepare  it  for  glory. 
It  is  an  agency  of  divine  love;  and  none  but  a  divine  hand 
can  perform  it.  For  this  purpose,  God  promised  in  the  Old 
Testament  to  dvicll  in  his  people,  and  to  v.'alk  in  them  ;  and 
hence,  because  of  his  presence,  they  are  called  tbc  temple  cj' 
tbc  living  God.  2;  Cor.  vi.  16. — L'^u;,  in  anoLher  place  ( i  Coi-. 
vi.  19.)  tbcir  body  is  said  to  be  the  temple  oj  tbc  IIol\  Gbost. 
The  Holy  Ghost,  therefore,  is  ilie  living  (jod. 

Many  arguments  of  this  kind  miglit  be  drawn  from  tlic 
Scriptures  to  prove,  under  this  title  ofCyvrc,  the  proper  pej - 
sonality  and  divinity  of  the  Holy  Ghost. — To  the  Christian, 
these  will  more  than  sjiTice  ;  and  tv>  establish  the  Cliristian  in 
this  important  truth,  are  these  papers  principally  written. 
With  respecl  to  the  unbeliever,  all  the  arguments  in  the 
world,  whether  from  Scripture  or  its  analogy,  would  fail  of 
their  full  eiTeel,  unless  altciided  with  that  grace,  wliich  the 
Holy  Spirit,  as  God  over  all,  bestows  as  be  'will,  li  lils  rea- 
son were  silenced  or  convinced,  his  heart  would  be  just  as  l^. 
v/as  before  :  And  to  make  a  man  a  Christian  iii  l»ead  or  in 
notion  only,  would  be  rendering  him  as  usehss  as  lljc  paper 
which  might  be  wasted  for  the  purpose  ;  or  at  leas:  would  be  . 
drawing  a  mere  portrait,  which  has  neither  i.fe  nor  adion, 
and  which,  as  it  is  cUci^lated  to  deceive  the  s.H,ht,  has  for  iis 
Vol.   II.  L 


174  S  P  I  R  I  t    or    G  R  A  C  E. 

only  wortii  its  capacity  of  deception. — A  qualification,  which 
no  sincere  mind  would  wish  to  acquire. 

But  they,  who  have  tasttd  that  the  Lord  is  gracious^  czn 
never  dispute,  that  the  grace  they  enjoy  cati  only  be  from  the 
Lord.  Acquainted  with  the  powers  of  corruption  and  the 
strength  of  sin,  they  know  full  well,  that  none  but  He,  who 
is  stro3-!gcr  tlian  the  strong  OxN'E  a:  uicd,  Could  have  rescued 
them  from  the  i.  oa  bondage,  in  which  they  were  held.  They 
perceive  experir.zjntatly^  that  none  but  God  could  plan  such  a 
deLevinination  of  free  grace,  as  tb.e  Scripture  reveals",  that 
no  created  being  could  Ijave  either  the  wisdom,  will,  or  pow- 
er, u>  accomplish  all  that  was  n.ecessary  for  their  salvation; 
and  that.ordy  the  infinite  and  everlasting  yi?,6i/t)^;6  Could  inake 
it  I'cri'i'ly  u'.".  everlasting  salvation, 

Wheii  che  believer  considers  himself,  he  is  ready  to  sa)^ : 
'^  Here  arn  I,  a  siiiFul  inhabitant  of  a  wicked  world,  without 
r.ny  thought  of  God  by  nature,  and  turned  away  in  my  affec- 
tions from  allthic  can  be  conceived  of  divine  purity  and 
perfeclion.  1  feel  no  natural  inclination  to  goodness  ;  but  a 
strong  propensity  to  ail  things,  which  are  corrupt  and  pe-rish- 
ing.  My  soul  never  sought  after  its  God  ;  and  if  it  has 
th<jught  of  futurity,  it  considered  the  eternal  state  as  a  dark 
barren  void,  ti^.e  gloomy  apprehensions  of  which  inclined  me 
to  forget  it  as  f>iSt  as  I  could.  My  heart  was  all  alive  to  th6  . 
pursuits  of  the  world,  wliich,  in  my  sober  moments  undistrac- 
ted  by  the  immediate  presence  of  the  objecls,  my  heart  told 
me  vvcre  altogether  perishing  and  vain.  Still  1  ran  on  the 
mad  career,  sure  of  a  precipice  which  must  terminate  my 
course,  and  sure  of  nothing  beyond  it.  Thus  my  whole  nature 
I  have  constantly  found  rivetted  to  the  earth,  without  one 
aspiring  tliought  or  desire  of  its  ovv^n  to  quit  it.  The  very 
idea  ind«:ed  of  quitting  it,  has  filled  me  with  horror  and  pain. 
In  this  state,  always  in  quest  of  good  without  ever  finding  its 
satiety,  I  have  heard  and  read  of  God,  and,  vvith  the  mere  cu- 
riosity of  a  man,  have  perused  his  word.  1  saw  nothing  in  the 
holiness  and  omnipotence  of  my  Maker,  but  which  struck  me 
with  a  sense  of  rny  distance  from  him^  and  with  a  terror  of 
his  future  approach  to  me.  All  his  attributes,  considered  in 
the  a9:?(-eoate,  tilled  me  with  awe  :  His  mercy  alone  afforded 
me  some  ho[)e^  when  1  thought  of  it  /vy  itself;  but  attemper- 
ed with  hia  justice,  even  mercy  increased  the  dread.  The 
very  goodness  of  God  must  detach  him  from  all  that  is  sinful 
and  impure,  and  consequently  (as  I  saw)  niuist  detach  him 
from  me.  The  Sciipture  appeared  dark  and  confused  to  my 
understanding.  I  sav/  no  propriety  in  many  of  its  precepts, 
HO  force  in  its  allegories,  no  Comfort  in  its  prou.isesj  no  glory 
in  its  eiid.  Indeed,  its  end  I  did  not  understand;  for  it 
seemed  void  of  scheme  or  plan,  and  only,  to  my  dark  mind. 


S  P  r  R  I  T    01    G  R  A  C  E.  ^^5 

a  rude  and  undigested  mass.  It  was,  in  all  respe<51s,  a  booL 
sealed  to  my  eyts,  a  book  unafledi.ig  to  my  heart.  Some  of 
its  moral  precepts  alone  seemed  Wi^rthy  of  attention  ;  and 
these  I  viewed  distinctly  from  all  the  rest;  and,  thus  viewed, 
I  thought  that  C'wevQ^  .Seneca  or  any  of  the  j  hiloaophcis,  had 
or  might  have  delivered  as  good  us  those.  Thus  I  was  kft 
ailoat  in  an  immense  ocean  of  uncertainty,  without  cliurt  or 
compasg  to  diiecl  my  course,  or  to  p.o/.pisc  ;:ic  an  harbour  of 
CQmiort  and  repose.  I  found,  likewise,  thiit  I  hr.d  no  rudder 
to  my  bark  to  steei  it  arigju  by  any  rule,  could  I  obtain  one ; 
^ud  thujt  I  lay  exposed  to  tlie  united  r.g;t;vtion  of  winds  and, 
waves.  To  sink,  iilled  m^  with  horror  j  to  Lwim,  afforded 
me  a  prospe6l  of  conunu^^l  restleasfles^  and  care.  1  sav/  c- 
thers  in  the  same  situation  of  distre^s^  so:uc  Vv^sible  or  it  and 
others  stupid  or  uBleej)  j  but  this  p;i|^^  wounded  my  humanity, 
wichvvut  presenting  m^  vvitli  ivlief.  At  length,  a  voice  reach- 
ed my  hjart ;  a  voipo,  not  oi  sound  but  of  power,  which  1  h.ad 
never  perceived  befoi-e.     ''\  God  hath  sworn  ly  an  oath  to  \\\% 

J  people,  that  he  v/ould  grant  unto  tUcm,  that  they,  being  <.ie- 
ivered  put  of  the  hands  of  their  enemies,  might  serve  him 
without  fear,  in  holiness  and  righteousness  before  him,  ail 
thfi  days  of  their  life.''  A  sun-beam,  darting  upon  the  eyes 
of  a  man  just  recovered  to  sight  from  being  born  blind,  could 
not  fill  him  with  so  much  aaiitzement  ar-.a  vv:)nder  at  the  light, 
as  these  important  words  did  my  soul  at  the  truths,  which 
t;hey  contained,  and  which,  though  I  h  id  read  them  an  hun- 
dred times,  I  never  had  perceived  before.  I  saw,  I  felt  an 
elenchus  and  a  power  in  them,  which  no  mere  words,  formed 
by  any  kind  of  art,  could  possibly  have  induced.  I  stood  a- 
j^tonished ;  not  at  the  ckniojistracion  oi  truth  alone,  thougli 
that  appeared  bright  and  obvious  ;  but  at  the  force  and  ini- 
pression  with  which  it  seized  my  soul.  It  was  cjuick  auJ/^ov- 
trful  indeed  ;  and  sharper  than  any  t'ivo-cdgcd s'v.'ord^  piercing 
^ven  to  the  dividing  asunder  of  soul  and  spirit^  undof  tb:  joir.ts 
end  marro'w^  and  a  disccrncr  of  tbs  thoughts  and  intents  gJ  the 
1>eart,  The  ele6\rical  fluid  could  not  pervade  the  body  witli 
more  subtilty  and  surprize  ;  than  the  heavenly  (lame  atfeclei 
and  seized  upon  the  powers  ot  my  mind.  I  soon  found, 
that  to  know  a  truth,  is  not  merely  to  scc  it,  but  to  feel 
iind  enjoy  it  too.  I  tasted^  I  handled^  I  felt  the  Word  of 
Life.  \  found  it  was  life  indeed.  Soon  my  soul,  like  a 
jiew-born  babe,  casting  its  eyes  around,  perceived  iis 
r;ituatioii  by  nature,  and  the  gracious  change,  which  had 
passed  upon  it.  By  degrees,  it  could  explore  the  darkness 
of  sin  and  error,  by  the  light  of  grace  and  trutli.  I  saw  that 
through  all  my  pas:  life,  I  had  been  in  a  state  oi bondage  ;  that 
I  had  been  a  slave  in  the  hands  of  my  mist  cruel  enemies  ;  that, 
I  had  feared  God  only  as  aa  an^ry^and  ir.e::L>^ble  judge  j  that 


176  S  P  I  R  I  T     OF     G  RAG  E. 

so  far  Cfom  walking  before  him  in  holiness  and  rigbtccusness, 
I  had  counted  it'  as  the  best  enjoyment  of  my  life  to  turn  a- 
way  from  him  ;  that  it  had  been  a  part  of  my  misery  to  re- 
flect upon  his  transcendent  holiness,  to  the  commands  of 
which  I  neither  could  yield,  nor  loved  to  yield,  obedience  ; 
and  that  all  his  attribliLes  were  at  war  with  me  a  sinner.  I 
now  saw,  on  the  other  hand,  how  God  could  hejiist^  and  yet 
tbejustifier  of  him  that  belicveth  in  Jesus  ;  and  how  all  my 
sins,  sufiicient  as  they  were  to  damn  a  thousand  worlds,  could 
be  i)lotted  out  and  forgiven.  I  perceived,  with  horror,  the 
deep  apostacy  of  my  nature,  and  my  total  aversion  of  heart  to 
God  ^nd  liis  holy  will.  I  was  covered  with  shame  and  con- 
1  rition,  in  the  view  of  myself^  and  v/ith  wonder  at  so  much 
goodness  and  beauty,  in  the  consideration  of  <6/;7i.  My  soul 
was  bowed  down  with  the  conili6t  of  remorse,  hope,  love,  a- 
doration,  and  surprize.  I  saw,  I  felt,  I  believed.  I  wonderr 
ed,  at  first,  that  1  had  never  seen,  felt,  or  believed,  before. 
liut  I  soon  found  that  this  wonderful  change  in  the  human 
mind,  is  indeed  a  blessing  and  a  gift  from  God ;  that' it  is  not 
of  him  that  willetb^  nor  cf  kirn  that  runhetb^  but  of  God^  ivho 
ihcwctb  mercy  ;  in  short,  that  it  is  not  of  human  might  or 
power,  but  altogether  by  God  the  Spirit.  The  Scriptures 
now  v/cre  unsealed  in  ail  those  parts  which  became  neces- 
sary for  my  establishment;  and  they  shewed  me,  that  God  on- 
ly could  raise  the  dead-— the  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins^  to 
nei^Jness  of  Ufe  ;  that  no  human  wisdom  can  impart  spiritual 
instruction  ;  that  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus  can  only 
sustain  that  life,  which  it  is  his  office  to  give;  and  that  the 
fame  Spirit  of  grace  and  truth  alone  can  confer  the  grace  and 
truth,  which  are  needful  for  the  soiil  in  ail  its  confii6\s  with 
its  enemies,  and  fur  ^afe  conduct  to  eternity,  And,  O  v.^hat 
a'harmony  and.  glory  did  then  appear  in  all  the  offices  of  the 
everlasting  covenant  ;  what  a  propriety  and  suitableness  in 
the  Vv^ork  of  tliC  divine  persons  ;  v.-hat  a  lustre  in  the  satis- 
fadlion  of  their  unchangeable  attributes;  what  a  force  and 
savor  in  the  holy  Sciipuires  ;  what  a  hope  from  the  pro- 
mises ;  what  privileges  fj.om  communion  with  God,  in 
his  will,  and  love,  and  mercy!  Insliort,  it  was  altogether 
wonderful,  and  altogether  new.  It  was  a  life  of  newness,  as 
■well  as  a  newiiess  oi  life.  Tliere  was  indeed  a  life  and  glory 
in  the  whole,  which  those,  who  li^vc  enjoyed  tliem^  can  bet- 
ter rejoice  in  than  describe.  In  one  word,  I  felt  a  hope  full 
of  immort:ility,  and  found  ncv/  and  earnest  desires  after  im- 
mortal life." 

I'hin,  more  or  less,  is  the  growing  experience  of  every  be- 
liever. 11-:  is  a  child  of  v/rath  by  nature,  and  hashnda  tran- 
sition from  this  natural  s^.ate  to  a  state  of  grace  and  favor.  It 
is  so  great  a  cba^ige,  tliat  it  caiinot  pass  upon  a  man  unknown 


S  P  I  R  I  T     or     (>  R  A  C  K.  177 

to  him.  He  ir.ay  not  know,  indeed,  the  hour,  the  clay,  cv  per- 
Jiaps  the  month  of  this  traiishition ;  but  the  trunshilion  itself 
lie  must  know,  or  lie  hath  found  none.  lie  once  %\'as  dark- 
^icss  ;  but  now  he  is  light  in  the  Lord.  And  can  a  man  c- 
•mcige  from  darkness  into  light,  without  perceiving  i!i« 
change?  He  once  was  dead  in  sin  ;  but  now  is  alive  to  God. 
Can  any  creature  pass  fibm  de^.th  unto  life,' without  any  per- 
ception of  the  diflerencfe  r  Impossible  I  Equally  impossible 
also  is  it  for  a  soul  to  live  unto  God,  but  by  the  pov.'er  cf 
God.  An  -angfl  could  not  impart  life  to  a  iLv  ;  and  can  any 
created  being  induce  a  life  immortal,  and  eternal  to  man  ? 
Can  thac,  wiiich  depends  for  tlie  existence  and  support  of  its 
own  being  on  tiic  will  r-nd  power  of  its  Creator,  a<'.t  in- 
dependently of  that  Cieator?'i..2'vt^rr:j  rnight,  Vv'ith  equal'ease, 
have  raised  himself  from  the  dead,  ahd-come  forth.  It  tollows, 
then,  that  as  spiritual  life  can  only  be  given  fron:  God,  it-  can 
only  be  exerted  by  Inm.  Grace  is  not  a  principle  ^jvcn  to 
man  to  render  him  independent^  but  to  increase  his  depend- 
ence by  increasing  his  com.munion  with  God.  II;.-  cannot  live 
to  God,  without  God..  The  strongest  believer  cannot  e.^cite 
so  much  as  one  good  thotiglit  in' hi^  soul,  without  the  agency 
of  the  divine  Spirit ;  and  much  Jcsscati  hebringihat  thought 
into  a6l  v/ithout  the  same  agency  and  aid.  /i  is  God:^  Kvbicb 
nvorketh  in  ymi  {«ays  thef  apostle)  l>ct/j  to  fj:ill  and  to  do.  We 
are  not  sujjicicnt  of  cur  selves  (he  tells  us  in  andtlier  place)  to 
THINK  any  thing  as  cf  ciirsches*  Our  siificiciicy  is  of  (Sod, 
Again.  The  Spirit  belpeth  our  infirr.iitics  ;  for  ive  hioiv  not 
what  to  f-rayfor  as  ijoe  citgbt.  "  As  tliou  (says  that  most  ex- 
cellent colled  in  the  liturgy  for  Easter-Day)  by  thy  special 
gvT^cQ  preventing  us  dost  ptit  into  our  minds  good  desires,  so 
by  thy  continual  help  v/e  may  bring  the  sartie  to  good  elTecl." 
To  tiie  like  purpose  is  the  tenth  article  of  the  church  of  En- 
gland.  To  say,  that  a  man  is  good  without  communion  with 
the  Author  of  all  goodness,  is  a  blasphemous  assertion  of  hu- 
m.an  independence,  end  as  false  in  speculation  as  in  faifl.  An 
heathen  philosopher  could  teach  abetter  do6\rine,  and  has 
taught  it.  Seneca  says,  Sacer  intra  nos  Spiritus  scdet — Bonus 
vir  sine  Deo  nemo  est — Ille  dat  cons  ilia  magnijica  et  e  recta. 
In  unojtioque  virorum  boncrum  habitat  Dcus.  Ep.  xli.  ''  An 
holy  Spirit  dwells  within  us — No  man  can  be  good  without 
God — He  gives  exalted  and  upright  instruflions,  an<l  resides 
in  every  good  man." — Alas  1  hov/  many,  vvho  are  named  d:- 
vir.eSj  and  who  have  professed  themselves  mcccd  by  the  Holy 
Ghost  to  take  upon  them  their  sacred  cfHce,  v.ill  this  ingeni- 
ous heathen  one  day  condemn?  How  many  condemn  even 
themselves  by  their  subsequent  liv. s  and  dodrine,  both  in 
v/orks  and  in  words  denying  the  eHlcacy  or*  the  existenc3  of 
.the  Spirit  of  grace  ?   Such  persons  should' remember  one  text, 


r;3  S  P  I  R  I  T     oy     G  R  A  C  E. 

which  they  are  often  obliged  to  read — -If  any  man  have  nQ^ 
ibe  SriTvjT  vj  Christy  he  ts  none  of  bis. 

But  to  ^hae,  O  believer,  the  mere  argument   of  thy  teachr 
er's  divinity  needs  not  to  be  urged:   1  hou   hust  been  taught 
the  heavenly  truth   by    an  heavenly  guide.     Thou  last  been 
irjad(?  to  see  ai.a  to  feel  thyselt  destituitf  of  all  spiritual   life 
ar'd  gvace  :  aiiU  thou  knov^'v  st,  by   experience,  that  none  but 
God  iiiriiscif  could  ever  give  tliee  life,   or   maintain  it  when 
given.   Thou  ?rt  sensible  too,  that  the  life  of  grace  from.jhe 
dead  is  of  far  n.ore  iniportance  and  dignity,  than  thy    merQ 
life  of  nature  as  a  creature.     The  un6lion   of  God's  Spirit, 
■which  anointed  thy  Redeemer  for  this  purpose  of  salvation^ 
hath  descended  iioni   \\\\\\   upon    thee.     ')l\\q  Spirit   of  Grace. 
hath  distilled  like  the  devv'upon  thy  barren  heart,  and  enrich- 
ed 11  Vv-ith  the  knov/ledgc  and  tht  love  of  God.    Pie  hath  beea 
and  is  to  thy  soul  a  gracious  Spirit,  according  to  the  everlast- 
ing covenant,  both  in  coming />c'i'/v,  and  in  v/or^ing  effcaci- 
oiuly.     He   came  with  free  grace,   because  the  value  of  his 
blessing  could  not  possibly  by  thee  have  been  purchased;  and, 
with  eflicacious  grace,  because  none  but  a  divine  power  could 
remove  the  opposition  of  world,   flesh  and  devil,  and  jntro-r 
duce  the  divine  life  within  thy  soul.     O    what  a   debtor   art, 
thou  already  to  this  almigJuy  Lord  1   And  what  an  increasing 
debtor  wilt  thou   be  throughout  eternity  1  He  is  and  will  be 
the  Spirit  of  Grace  to  his  people  in  everlasting  glory.     Aii 
the  company  of  the  blessed  are  imbued  with   his   divine  ar 
nointing;  and   they   enjoy  him   as    their  life   and  their  por- 
tion, world  without  end.     The  spirits  of  just  men  are  made 
perfe6l  by  God   the   Spirit.     He    fills    their  capacities  with 
his   divine  inhabitation,    and   they  live    in     and  by  him  a$ 
the    great    spring  of  ail  their   biisc.      They  are  there  be- 
come  a  perfect  unison  with   this   Holy  Spirit.     And   what 
they   are,    redeemed  soul,    thou,  even   thou,   shalt  pne  day 
be.     Corruptible  as  is  tiiy  body,  and  feeble  as   thou  feelest 
thv  inward  man  ;  within  a  while,  and  a  short  v/hile  too,  thou 
shalt  part  with  coriuption  and   weakness  ;  and  all  the  ene- 
mies of  thy  peace,  v.'hich  thou  hasi  seen  in  the  days  of  thy 
flesh,  thou  shalt  see  again  no   more  forever.     God  v/ill  wipe 
away  not  only  all  tears  from  thine  eyes,  but  the  cause  of  all 
tears  from  thy  heart.     There  thou  shalt  never  shed  another  ; 
unless  it  be  jjosslble   to   shed  one  of  gratitude,  wonder,  and 
joy,     O    wliat   l)ath    God  the  Spirit  done  in   thee  now  \  He 
hath  subdued  thy  reigning  sins,  and  mastered  for  thee  thy  do- 
mineering corruptions.     He   hath    released   thee    from    thy 
bondage,  and  brought   thee  into  a  glorious  liberty.     An4  all 
this  he  hath  done  as  the  earnest  only  of  greater  blessings. 
The  mercies,   that  remain  behind,  are  beyond  all  huiVian  ac- 
count or  conception.     The  pledge  is  delightful  and  full  of  an 


S  P  I  R  1  T    0  y    G  R  A  C  E.  ry<) 

wncloying  sweetness  :  What  tlieii  shall  the  full  measure  of 
gracj  and  glory  be  s  where  there  is  nothing  to  abate  it,  or  to 
clistra6l  its  course  for  a  single  moment? 

And  all  this  is  thine,  assuredly  thine,  thou  \vc-\kcst  of  be- 
lievers !   God  never  gives  grace  to  tlie  soul,  to  dioUjjijoint  it 
of  glory.      It  is  a  blasphemy,   perhaps,   against  the  bpirit  of 
grace  to  ut^rr  so  detra(5ling  an  expression  against  nis  iiaiu-e 
and  office.     Th;;  very  term  oi  communicated graee^  precludes 
such  a  notion.     For  if  it  might  be  lost  as  soon  as  given,  it  a  -\ 
pears  no  better  than  the  gift  of  a  man,  who  cannot  secure  the 
possession  of  any  one  thing  to  himself  or  to  otliers,  for  a  ui.- 
ment.   But  the  gifts  and  calling  of  God  are  'wicLout  reycniancc ; 
and  whom  the  Lord  loveth,  lie  ioveth  to  the  end*  Man  would 
change  in  a   moment  without  the  divine  help;   but  God,  h*- 
ip.g  ijod.^  change ih  not.   All  change  implies  defect  ;  and  tl  erc- 
io\'^  both  are   impossible  in  God.     Christians  in  this  lite  are 
full  of  defe6ls  :   and  are  kept  from   changing  only  by   an  al- 
mighty hand.      It  was  Cains  curse  to  be  a  vagabond  or  wan- 
derer upon  earth.      The  law  of  God  restrained  him  not  ;   and 
the  grace  of  God,  not  being  imparted,  gave-him  no  rest.   All 
men  by   nature,  like  Cain^  stroll  about  in  t'le   land  of  Nod  ; 
and  none  enter  into   Canaan^  but  (as    Abraham  did)  through 
the   sovereign  call  and  power  of  God.     But  grace^  which  is 
fixed  in  itself,  fixes  the  believer  in  Jesus.     This  is  the  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and,  to  the  redeemed  soul,  it  is  one  of  the 
most  incontesiible  arguments  of  his  divinity.     He  is  essenti- 
ally God  to  bestow   grace  :   And  he  is  \yo\  almighty  to  pre- 
serve it,  where  bestov/ed,  against  all  the  powers  oi  darlincss 
for  evermore.     By  him,  from  being  a  dismal  ijjandertr  :>fter 
peace,  the   Christian  enters   into  rest.     His   aching  heart  i& 
privileged,  through  him  alone,  to  obtain   quietness  and  assu- 
rance for   ever. — And  this  is  thy  privilege,  fainting,  feeble, 
and  heavy4aden  soul  :   It  is  thy  privilege  more  than  any.  For 
he,  that  thirsts  most  after  God,  by  God's  own   promise,  hath 
the  most  right  to  Hini.»  O  look  upon  this  grace,  whicli  God 
the  Spirit  can  alone  bestow  ;  and  is  not  thy  very  soul   wrapt 
up  in  eagerness  to   possess  it  ?   And    why  ii   thy  soul    t;;us 
eager?   Is  there  any  principle  in  thy  heart  in  the  least  simUur 
t9  this  heavenly  gift '  No.  Thy  heart  is  naturally  full  of  base- 
ness, corruption  ^yvA  unbelief,  and  would  lead  thje,  (like  lai- 
ien  Adam)  from  God  instead  of  to  him.      This  is  tire  cause. 
The  Holy  Spirit  liath  already  quickened  thee  with  his  living 
f^race,  and  worketh  in  thv  sr-ul  all  these  desires  after  himaolt. 
if  1>- had  not  v/rought  them,  thou  never  couldest  nave   had 
them.   And  if  he  hath  stirred  up  these  holy  longings  i  aid  he 
£tir  them  up  to  disappoint  thee  at   the  last :      O   tinnk  not  so 
unworthily  of  the  God  of  all  grace  ;  for  this   in  fa'.:l  is  cahmg 
the  God  of  truth  bv  tut  na.ne   of  liar.     iVc  iiatu  prjmised. 


iSa  S  P  I  R  I  T     OF     G  R  A  C  E. 

nay,  to  give  tlies  strong  consolation^  he  hath  svjorn^  and[. 
sworn  hy  himself^  because  he  could  swear  by  no  greater; 
that  whosoever  comstb  to  bim^  be  will  in  no  'unse  cast  out  ,- 
that  they,  ^i^bo  biingtr  and  tbirst  after  rigbteoiisncss^  sball  be 
Jilled ;  that  th-e  xvcary  and  heavy -laden^  "Mbocomc  to  bim^  shall 
JinU  rtst  to  tbtrir  souls;  and,  in  a  word,  that  he  will  be  a 
strength  to  the  poor^  a  strength  to  the  needy  in  bi^  distress^  a 
refuge  from  the  storm^  a  sbadoK.\)  and  a  help ^  a  very  present 
belf)  in  the  time  of  trouble.  God  is  thus  rich  in  mercy,  that 
thau  shouldest  be  rich  in  faith  :  And  when  thy  faith  once  em- 
braces hJ3  nv^rcy,  uhou  wilt  have  a  present  coinfort  in  that 
adl,  and  e'er  long,  i:i  the  best  ti.n-j,  a  s-are  falfiii  nen:  oi*  the- 
pionisj.  Remember;  Cj^\S.cannot\\Q.;  ai>d,  while  thou  trust- 
est  in  Him,  thou  canst  n3-t  be  disappjintei.  The  mainer 
and  the  means  may  not  be  after  thy  imagination  ;  but  the  end 
will  be  right,  ar.d  tluvi  wilt  rejoice  in  a  at  tiie  last.  Thou 
hast  laid  iiold  oFar.  om  ilpotent  arm  ;  a-ad  chy  great  business 
is  to  be  /r^jfi/upon  it. 

Ir.  the  view  of  all  these  thing?,  v/hat  encouragement  is' 
there  for  the  believing  soul,  not  only  to  conteaidate,  but  to 
enjoy  the  Spirit  of  grace,  and  the  effusions  of  his  divinity? 
He  is  the  Spirit  of  grace,  and  grace  iLself,  wh^ch,  like  ail  his 
other  perfeclions,  is  uniitterabie.  Grace  is  hi^-  nature;  and 
erace,  in  the  elTecl,  is  his  olHce.  He  'xoili  be  gracious  to  ^echoni 
be  'voill  be  ^raeious  y  for  he  possesses  grace  as  the  sovereign 
dispenser,  and  receives  it  from  none*  In  the  union  of  the 
persons  in  the  Godhead,  he  enjoys  every  essential  glory,  in 
])erleiX  equality  and  concord,  and  bestovv's  the  grace  of  the 
eternal  throne,  according  to  the  eternal  covenant  and  decree. 
H':;  is  the  immediate  agent  conferring  that  grace  in  which  the 
other  two  persons  essentially  concur.  It  is  equally  the  grace 
of  the  Fatlier  and  the  Son;  but  it  is  ths  Spirit^s  orlice  to  re- 
veal it  unto  men,  and  to  effe^Sluate  by  it  th^ir  eternal  salva- 
tion.— O  v/onderful  creature,  thou  believing  Christian,  who 
art  born  of  Godi — Saved  by  a  cosi^  which  angels  cannot 
cjunt,  and  in  a  manner,  which  fills  all  heaven  with  amaze- 
ment 1  A  brittle  clod,  a  crawling  worm,  or  at  the  highest, 
a  rebellious  sinner,  full  of  th3  enmity  of  hell  and  the 
iiisignilicance  of  earth;  is  saved  for  giory,  for  the  high- 
est glory  of  heaven  ;  saved  by  the  abasement,  by  the  suBer- 
i,v>-9  and  djalh  of  the  Son  of  God;  saved  by  the  power  of 
the  almighty  Spirit  and  his  effeelaal  grac  j  ;  saved  according 
to  the  eternal  purpose  and  decree  of  the  Father,  Son,  and 
Holy  Ghost  1  What  an  expence  of  salvation,  for  beings,  \who- 
are  minute  as  atoms  in  the  universe  of  things,  and  fit  only 
for  devils  and  tlie  damned  in  the  bosom  of  hell  1  0  the  height 
and  depth  !  Love  passing  knowledge  I  Love  without  end  1 — 
Angels  wjuder,  and  all  heaven  is  .filled  with  joy,  bjth  at  the 


SPIRIT     o  If     ADOPTION.        i8i 

ctoiifiplacency  of  God,  and  at  tiie  happiness  ot  man  :  And 
shalt  not  thou,  O  believer,  participate  the  joy,  who  art  so 
immediately  tlie  objedl  of  its  excitement?  Can  ib::aven  pour 
forth  its  praises  for  thee  ;  and  canst  tijou  be  dumb  ?  No.  If 
thou  art  silent,  it  must  be  from  tlic  excess  of  graiitudc  and 
joy,  overpov/ering  the  organs  of  speech  or  the  extent  of 
imagination;  and,  in  this  respect,  there  »nay,  sometimes,  l)e 
silence  in  beavcn:  But  it  will  not,  it  cannot  last,  (iod  will 
improve  thy  power  of  praise,  with  the  increasing  sense  of  its 
due.  He  will  be  glorified,  and  thou  shaltbe  blessed  in  glori- 
fying him,  throughout  eternity. — 'Lord,  fwhat  is  man^  that 
thou  art  mindful  of  bim  ;  or  the  son  of  man  that  thus  tbou  vi- 
sitest  him  / 

Spirit  of  Grace,  my   heart  renew, 

(Each  faithful  Christian  cries) 
And  where  the  weeds  of   error    grew, 

Let  plants  of  truth   arise. 

My  soul,  an  howling  wilderness, 

Shall  then  such  beauties  wear, 
That  heav'n  with  rapture  shall  confess 

Thy  workmanship  is  there. 


SPIRIT  OF  ADOPTION. 


ADOPTION,  among  men,  is  the  taking  of  a  stranger  in- 
to a  family,  and  conferring  upon  him  all  the  rights  and 
privileges  of  a  son  :  And  as  it  depends  upon  tlie  adopter's 
free  choice  and  bounty  ;  the  favor  is  more  or  less  valuable, 
according  to  the  inheritance  which  is  entailedupon  it.  When 
Tiberius  was  adopted  by  Augustus  Casar.il  was  understood 
that  whatever  the  patron  or  adopter  possessed,  would  of 
right  descend  to  the  adopted:  And  thus  Tiberius  inherited 
the  empire  of  Rome,  to  which  otherwise  he  could  not  have 
aspired  from  any  notion  or  pretence  of  hereditary  right. 

The  first  instance  of  adoption,  that  can  be  found,  is  tliL«  re- 
ception of  3Ioses  by  Pharaoh's  daughter  ;  and  frora  this  in- 
stance  we  may  believe,  that  it  was  in  that  e:'.rly  uge  a  well- 
known  or  established  custom  ;  or  it  may  be  p'-esumed  that  a 
king's  daughter  would  not  have  ventured  to  begin  it.   We  wiU 

Vol.  II.  A  a 


i82        SPIRIT    o*-     ADOPTION. 

omit  the  silly  stories,  which  Jostphus  and  the  Rabbins  relate 
conceriiing  iwjses  in  tliis  exalted  station,  on  purpose  (as  they 
think)  to  embellish  his  chaiaoler,  and  wtll  only  add  that  illus- 
trious testimony  of  hivn  tVom  the  voice  of  truth,  which  does 
him  more  honor  than  the  plaudits  often  thousand  historians. 
By  fahb  Moses,  -wben  be  n.vas  came  to  years ^  refused  to  be  cal- 
led tbe  son  of  Pharaoh's  d.iugbter  ;  cboosing  ratber  to  suffer 
affUctlon  with  tbe  peo/jle  :f  God.  tban  to  enjoy  tbe  pleasures  of 
sin  for  a  season  ;  esteeming  tbe  veproacb  of  Christ  greater  rich- 
es iban  tbe  trejsures  of  E^y^^t.  Hsbi-.  xi.  24. —  2,6.  '*  What  a 
madman  1"  cries  huma  i  policy.  '*  What  wisdom  I"  says  Jlo- 
jcs  now,  and  all  heaven  with  him. 

This  pradlice  v/;is  so  well  established  among  the  Greeks, 
that  they  had  positive  laws  to  direct  the  form  and  extent  of 
it  ;  so  that  every  adoption  might  appear  by  a  public  act,  and 
become  notorious  to  the  world.-f-  And  it  was  (ollowed  by 
the  Romans  down  to  tha  tiiives  of  fustinian^  who,  i.i  his  ins^ti^ 
tutcs^  has  established  particular  regulations  concerning  the 
adopted,  putting  them  under  the  adopter's  power,  as  though 
they  were  their  own  olTspring.J 

God  hath  been  pleased  to  use  this  term,  in  o-rder  to  convey 
to  our  minds  another  view  of  his  grace  and  love  to  the  souls 
-of  his  people.  Every  image  of  endearment  in  nature  he  hath 
c:nploy:-d  fo-  the  ex:pre3sion  of  his  kiiidnesi  ;  and  this  import- 
ant one.  therefore,  among  the  rest.  The  motives  of  this  af- 
fe6li'^>n  and  adoption  are  entirely  within  himself.  Indeed, 
they  could  not  but  be  so  ;  for  all  tbe  viorld  was  become  guilty 
before  God ;  and  when  be  looked  down  from  heaven^  he  saw 
that  all  nun  v/ere  become  abominable^  and  that  there  was 
none  dozjig  gocd^  no  not  one.  There  were  no  attradlions  in 
miserable,  b.iteful^  and  hating^  sinners  ;  and  there  could  be 
none  to  win  the  love  of  a  holy  and  righteous  God.  Thus, 
when  he  was  pleased  to  adopt  the  people  of  Israel  from  a- 
nong  the  sinful  families  of  the  earth,  a  very  particular  de- 
claration is  given,  That  the  Lord  did  not  set  bis  love  upon^  nor 
choose  tbem^  because  of  their  nwmber^ioY  they  ivere  the  fewest 
ef  all  people — nor  for  their  wealthy  for  He  gave  them  the  power 
to  get  wealtb^^nor  for  their  righteousness^  for  they  were  a 
rcbtllious  and  stiff-necked  people  :  But  because  the  Lord  lov- 
ed them^  and  because  be  v:ould  be  gracious  to  whom  he  would 
be  gracious^  and  shew  mercy  on  whom  he  would  shew  mercy, 
Every  cause,  reason,  and  purpose,  existed  entirely  in  him- 
self; and,   from  hi  is  own   benignity,   did  every  blessing  pro- 

t  Rons  A-t^clu  /Itt.  I.  V.  c.  15. 

\  JuHTiij.  Lisi,  1.  i.  tit.  11.  The  reader  inay  see  a  curious  con>- 
troversy,  upon  the  subject  of  adoption,  in  the  remains  of  Marcus 
Jnjht's  Sensca^  ;  father  of  the  great  Stneca)  in  his  secoiid  book  oC 
Coiilrov,  S.  9.  cum  noiis  varior. 


SPIRIT     OF     ADOPTION.         jP.^ 

teed.  And  yet  bad  2,%  ths  people  was,  ^^•h>.t  Bha'il  we  tiiihk 
of  this  other  declaration,  wln(h  God  made,  in  their  bch..I^, 
in  the  face  of  their  enemivs?  Thus  w}tb  JkmovAh,  hr  ct  if 
my  Son,  even  my  first-born.  Kxt^d.  iv.  zz.  Sf-e  Worn.  i\.  4. 
A  id  or  what  was  said  to  the)iiselves  i  yr\l^i  pi,  Void  of  all 
ci/usl'  in  tbj  fathers^  Jehov^i-t  nirrKb  p\yn  aJberrcl  lo  i'jve 
tbem^  or  njjould  loVif  tbem  ;  ar.d  be  chose  tbclr  stcd  njitr  ibem, 
even  ycu  above  all  people^  as  ii  is  tbis  day.  Deut.  x.  15.  Not 
tiiat  the  Lord  wanteu  th;ir  service,  or  would  have  liceii  Lss 
a  uilness  without  iheiv  Suivation,  for  tl.ei6^^•lv«,  and  ibe  bca~ 
vev  of  bfjvc'is^  Oclo  igi'd  to  jchovah  ibeir  Alehim,  the  ten  ib 
and  all  that  isiberein.  v.  14.  He:  chose  and  adopted,  nnt  be- 
cause be  want..-fd  thcr^i,  but  because  tbey  needed  him.  A.'i.l  he 
mentions  to  them  their  h./d  inlieritance,  that  they  migiu  a- 
dore  his  bounty,  be  encouraged  to  live  upon  liim,  and  be  look- 
ing beyond  tiie  grave  for  the  full  possession. 

What  the  Lord  once  did  to  Israel^  he  doeth  for  ever  to  all 
his  people.  The  cu'lmg  and  salvation  in  the  type  fully  ex- 
presses, and  was  designed  to  express,  the  calling  and  salvation. 
cf  all  thw  redeemed  in  every  age  or  the  v/orld.  His  elev'ilicn 
of  grace  is  a  truth  as  positivelv  revesied  to  believers  by  tlie 
Old  Testament,  as  it  is  or  can  be  to  them  by  the  New  ;  for 
the  same  eternal  Spirit  diclated  botb^  and  both  for  the  same 
end.  And  the  only  difference  between  the  terms  elcccion  and 
/tdoption  is  ;  the  former  expresses  God's  sirnplc  choice  of  his 
people,  without  any  motives  for  ihat  choice,  but  h.is  own  ; 
and  the  latter  implies  the  same  kind  of  choice,  but  at  the 
same  time  conveys  with  it  an  idea  of  what  they  are  elected 
t-<:).  Eleclion  is  the  choice  of  God,  as  it  exists  in  bimsclj  ; 
and  adoption  is  that  very  choice,  as  it  becojnes  manfested to 
tbcm.  By  their  adoption  therefore  they  are  ]}ersuaded  of 
their  election  ;  and  not  of  their  adoption  by  their  election. 
Their  faith  does  not  conclu.ie  from  what   exists  in  the  unre- 


^>ould  be  enthusiasm  with  a  witness,  or  something  ..  -  , 
but,  in  their  earnestness  for  the  /tnowiedje  of  salvation^  they 
are  so  far  from  being  satisfied  with  faint  hopes  and  mere  con- 
j<-61ures,  that  they  require  no  less  testim.ony  than  God  5  ov/n 
warrant  and  God's  own  seal  with  tiiat  warrant,  to  prove  that 
it  is  for  theiH.  Tnis  dodriae,  consequently,  cannot  be  abus- 
ed, wherever  it  is  understood  in  faitb  and  cx/tcrit-ncc:  And 
iis  for  those,  who  iy/7/  abuse  it  ;  they  are  to  be  pitied  and  de- 
plored for  the  predoiTii nancy  of  that  corruption,  which  ever 
turns  the  use  and  benefit  of  the  bvr.t  rlji.igs  into  u.ssh.ssne^is 
or  destrudtiou. 


J.84        S  P  I  R  I  T     o  F     A  D  O  P  T  I  O  N. 

li  Israel^  after  the  Ueshancl  in  type,  was  adopted  to  be  the 
son^  and  inQ  first-born^  of  Jehovah  ;  Israel^  after  the  Spirit, 
and  the  consummation  of  that  type,  can  certainly  be  invested 
with  no  inferior  privilege.  If  God  chose  the  OJte  from  motives 
of  liis  own  ;  surely,  the  olher  hath  no  other  motives  to  plead, 
why  he  should  ever  adopt  them.  If  Jtvjs  were  stiff-necked 
and  sinful ;  can  Gentiles  ])\^^ii  greater  obr-dience  and  purity? 
And  if  the  children  of  Abraham^  who  were  broagiit  up  in  the 
faith,  and  who  had  the  premise  of  the  life  that  now  is  as  well 
as  the  future,  were  not  received,  because  they  luere  his  chil- 
dren J  how  shall  strangers  to  the  co'Dcnants  of  promise^  aliens 
from  God's  comni07i'wealtb^  and  atheists  in  the  'voorld^  dare  to 
hold  up  their  heads,  and  claim  the  inheritance  of  glory  by  de- 
sert ? — -If  this  argument  of  adoption  were  but  rightly  under- 
stood in  the  hearty  as  well  as  the  head j  the  pride  of  man^ 
which  inspires  him  with  high  notions  of  his  own  will  and^ 
powers,  v/ith  the  wild  farrago  of  opinions  issuing  from  those 
notions,  would  tumble,  like  Dagon  before  the  ark,  and  be 
broken  into  ruins. 

''  But  bo=n)  are  God's  people  adopted  by  him  ;  when  He  is 
imniacuiaiely  holy,  and  they  are  altogether  defiled  by  sinr'* 
■ — This  is  an  important  question  ;  and  the  answer,  which 
God's  word  affords  us,  is  no  less  complete  than  delightful. 

The  apostle  tells,  us  that  we  are  chosen  in  Christ,  thiit  God 
hatb  predestinated  us  unto  the  adoption  of  children  by  Jesus- 
Christ  to  himself  according  to  the  good  pleasure  of  his  ivilly 
to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of  his  grace^  &c.  Eph.  i.  5,  6.  and 
that  God  sent  forth  bis  Son,  made  of  a  luonian^  ?nade  under  the 
laiv,  to  redeem  them  that  'ivere  under  the  la-w^  that'^jje  might  re- 
ceive the  adoption  of  sons.  Gal.  iv.  4,  5.  God  sent  his  Son  in 
human  nature,  to  redeem  us  first,  and  then  to  give  the  right  of 
adoption  to  us.  To  them^  that  received  hini^  gave  he  power 
[Marg.  right,  or  privilege.']  to  become  the  sons  of  God,  John  i. 
12.  As,  among  men,  they  were  to  be  madey/(?e,  before  they 
tould  be  positively  and  effectually  adopted;  so  we  are  first 
delivered  from  bond.jge^  before  we  can  receive  or  lay  claim  to 
the  privilege  of  spiritual  adoption.  We  are,  therefore,  par- 
takers of  this  adoption  through  Christ  ;  and  we  can  enjoy  it 
only  in  him  :  consequently,  we  must  fust  be  in  -6/^, before  wq 
cai'  know  our  adoption,  or  possess  it.  He  is  the  great  Son^ 
the  great  'lO:!  or  f  i]i3T-iioR-\  ;f   and  we    are   sons   and  frst- 

t  In  a  former  not^,  the  doclrlnc  of  the  "11*3:1  or  first-born,  vras 
briefly  considered:  And  it  was  shewn  to  beiong-  to  Christ,  and 
to  his  naembers  through  him.  He  is  also,  respeclinj^  his  human 
nature,  the  n^Ui*-),  the  head,  the  be^innin.^,  and  the  t::s'>-!l2r.  n-UKl 
the  chief  oi\/irst  of  ih:;  firsl-fruitSj  for  the  sake  of  hii;  people,  unto 
God  :  But  as  to  his  divine  nature,  he  hath  no  bc2,-inning,  and  there* 


SPIRIT     OF     ADOPTION.  185 

horn  too  IN  lilm,  accoruing  to  the  deriara'.ioii  gi'.  on  to  JsrucL 

Kxod.  iv.    22.     And  therefo'e  it    is,  that  wc  inhnit  ail    tha 

rights,  honors,   and  privileges    oi  ihc  firs l- corn   ardbecrms 

joint-belrs  with  Christ.     He  is    also»  in   anoilier    viev/,  the 

fore  cannot  be  the  first  or  chlcT  of  any    creatures,  bccanr.c   tliis 
would  express  a  relation  and  coniMarisoii,  which  cannot  obtain  be- 
tween inhnite  and  finite. rrJEuovAii  tlie  inccnunv.iiicable  and,  de- 
pendent beinf^s.     Regardin^^  Christ's  humanity,  he  may  be  c.iiled 
the  primus  inier  pares  wilh  relation  to  li-s  people,  as    indeed    lie 
is    their  rTO^l*  [Sec  Vol.  1.]    tUeir  fellow,  and  one,  thouj^h  the 
principal    one,  of  them  :    But  in  his  divinity,  he  ic  above  every 
name,  the  n''):y  of  Jehovah  hims;;if,  ~nd  therefore  necessarily  the 
self-existent  and  inconceivable  Jehovah  toe,  the  ciiuse  of  all  things, 
and  consequently  neither  on-e  nor  the  first  of  those  things.     The 
primogeniture  '-ind  the  blessing  are  almost  convertible  terms  ;  and 
some  authors  have  observed  tiie  same  of  the  two  root:»  ■^::i  and  "pn, 
from  which  those  terms  are  derived.     Wc  had  forfeited,  lil.e  Rsc::^ 
our  birth-right  and  the  blessing  ;  and  therefore  Christ  became  ci 
first-born,  and   suff*cred  for  his  people,  that  they  might  paitake  of 
his  birth-right  and  its  attendr.nt  blessing:  And  thn:;  they  arc  ail  first- 
horn,  as  being  members  of  and  in  him.     Tliey  are,  tberefcre,  con- 
sidered by  the  Scripture,  as  as  all  one  in  Christ  Jesus  ;  and  he  is 
■considered  as  their  head.     And  this  unity  which  subsists  bet-reen 
Christ  and  his  church,  is  as  much  ir.cistcd  upon,  perhaps,  as  any 
one  truth  in  the  Bible  ;  and  possibly  for  the  pu.rpose  of  e:j;piaining' 
to  his  people,  that,  without  him,  they  are  notiiing,  and  can  (lO  no- 
tliing. 

From  the  corruption  of  this  doc?i,rlne  of  the  first-born,  it  is  very 
probable,  that  the  heathen  round  about  Israel^  (forthiii  corruption, 
doth  not  seem  to  have  obtained  much  farther  1  offered  to  Moioch, 
the  sun,  or  king  of  the  material  heavcnr,,  their  first-born  for-ihcir 
transeressioUf  the  fruit  of  their  tody  for  the  sin  of  their  sou:.  Mi-- 
cah  vi.  7. 

As  the  first-born  belonged  to  the  Lord  midcr  the  law,  in  type  of 
Ids  spiritual  first-born  in  Christ ;  so  tl:e  first-fruits  al.',o  v/erc  to  be 
offered  to  him,  as  peculiarly  his  own.  In  Lev.  li.  TJ.  ?^c.  the 
manner  of  this  oblation  is  prescribed,  and  hr.th  an  immediate  refcr- 
oence  to  the  subje^  of  this  Essay.  The  first-fruits  in  this  place 
ivpifv  both  believers  themselves,  and  the  firs^-f^uUs  of  the  SviiKir 
in  believers,  as  his  earnest  bestowed  upon  them,  in  testimony  of 
their  adoption  to  the  primogeniture.  Thus  they  are  anirn 
jirst-born^  and  first-fruits,  bv  being  members,  in  the  Inciy  n- 
bovemer.tioned,  of  Christ  the  great  V>::a  the  first-born,  who  :r. 
(according  to  the  apostle)  tfte  first-fruits  of  them  that^shpi : 
And  they  are  to  offer  up  the  first  of  their  rirst-fruit.-M  their  :ir:,t  at- 
feaions  and  prln^iod  services  unio  God — Tlie  first-fruits  unt.cr 
the  law  were  not  to  be  a  burnt  sacrincc  ^ov  atontmcnt,  bu^L  mat. 
ters  of  oblation  and  thanksgiving  :  So  the  fruits  or  the  Spihjt 
in  his  people  are  not  to  be  preferred  as  means  of  atonement,  or 
reccncliiatlon,  hut  onlv  as  duties  of  devotion  and  prrasc.-  The 
rt^:]ii  or  riEricniAi.  only  was  to  I^c  burnt  by  tlie  priest  bc.orc  tno 


.iS6  SPIRIT  OF  ADOPTION. 
FiRST-FKUiT  unto  God  Jor  us  ,•  aiid  ive  hi  II/??i  are  also  to 
God  the  frst-jruits  of  his  crcaiures.  He  is  the  frsi  born  a- 
inoitg  many  brethren  ;  ar>d  those  brethren  are  all  first-uorn  in 
hirn,  theii  couinioti  inseparable  head.  He  is  the  Airapyji  he 
first-fruits^  i  C'-i.  xv.  -20.  and  th-;  A^;/-^,  th^:  bt^itj'nmo-  or  ch'ef, 
tli^Jirst'bor.ifroTn  we  ckad^  Col.  i.    18.  or  (according   to  the 

Lxjrd  for  an  nTV?j  2.  jire-ojftring^  or  orering  for  atonement:  And 
thus  Christ,  w  10  is  his  people's  memorial  and  representative  before 
God  oljereci  up  himself  {biting  both  priest  and  sacrifice  for  the  sole 
propitiation  of  tbeir  sins.  Ti\cstjirst-fruits  under  the  law  were  al- 
so particularly  enjoined  to  be  presented,  after  they  had  been  sea- 
soned with  sa't,  called  the  saltoftheccieiiant  of  the  Alehim  ;  and  no 
ofTering  would  be  accepted  without  it.  How  forcibly  doth  this  de- 
scribe, that  nothhig  can  be  acceptable  to  God  even  from  his  peo- 
ple, but  through  the  Eternal  Spirit,  who  is  that  salt  and  seal  of 
that  immutable  covenant,  which  the  divine  perRcr.s  entered  into  for 
the  redemption  and  adoption  of  the/r^^-f^cm  ?  Thus  God's  people 
are  to  have  salt  in  themselves  ;  because  as  salt  is  the  appointed  em- 
blem of  preserv^ation  and  incorruptibility,  they  are  preserved  to  an 
incorruptible  life  by  this  Spiric,  and  are  privileged  to  present 
themselves,  as  a  living  sacrifice  of  first-fruits  throup,h  his  divine 
power,  as  children  of  the  covenant  and  adoption,  and  as  heirs  of 

the   kingdom   in  Christ  Jesus. Oil  also   is.T\di  frankincense  were 

to  be  put  upon  the  oiTerlng :  And  these  are  emblems  of  the 
Spirit's  grace  of  holiness  and  prayer  ov praise^  with  which  all  the  re- 
deemed are  to  offer  up  themselves  and  their  services  before  God. 
Tills  oil  and  frankincense  accompanied  the  memorial  itst]f '■  And 
so  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  tvas  upon  Jesus,  who  was  holy-,  harmless^ 
undefiled^  and  who  ofered  up  prayers  and  supp!icatio7is^  with  strong 
cryin'  and  tears^  for  the  salvation  of  his  people — O  reader  what  a 
fund  oT instruction  doth  all  this  mystery  ofCodli?iess  contain  for  thy 
soul !  Meditate,  according  to  the  precept.  Jos/i,  i.  8.  upon  the  pur- 
pose oUhis  law,  day  andni^ht;  and  then  tJyway  indeed  shall  be  pros- 
perous, and  thou  thyself  shalt  have _(^ood success,  ov  true  understanding. 
Though  it  may  add  to  the  great  length  of  th-is  note,  the  subjedl 
of  which  would  not  be  exiiausted  in  a  volume,  it  mvy  not  he  ime.c- 
c-eptabie  to  son.e  readers  to  annex  an  idea  of  the  truly  learned  and 
excellent  archbishop  Usher  on  this  interesting  matter.  "  At  the 
time  of  the  passover,  Christ  our  passozer  ^^ls  sl^in  for  us,  ane  the' 
whole  Sabbath  following  he  rested  in  the  erave.  The  ntx<:  day 
after  that  Sabbath,  the  ^>::r  [Lev.  xxiii.  10,  11.]  or  sheaf  of  th<^/r^?- 
fruits  of  the  frst  (or  barley  harx'-st,  was  oHVied  unto  God  :  And 
Christ  rose  from  the  dead,  and  became  Mc'/r^//n//f^  of  them  that 
s^ef>t ;  many  bodies  of  the  saints  that  slept,  ansin;--  likewise  after  h'm. 
Fi'oni  ilience  was  the  account  taken  of  the  seven  Sabbaths  :  and 
upon  tl-.e  mor/vy  after  the  seventh  Sabbath  (which  was  our  Lord's 
dciy  wc-is  celebrated  the  feast  of  weeks  [Lev.  xxiii.  1  /^ — IT.  Numb, 
xxviii.  26.  Exod.  xxxiv.  22.]  the  day  of  the  first-fruits  of  the  se- 
cond or  wheat)  harvest;  upon  whirh  day  the  ai>ostles  having 
theinselvjs  received  the  fvsl-fruits  oj  the  Spirit,  begat  3000  souls 


SPIRIT     OP     ADOPTION.         rS; 

Fame  titles  in  the  Old  Testament)  the  n^niNn,  the  Irginninrr 
heady  first-fruits^  &c.  of  all  ;  the  n^lVK*!  cbi(j\  bead.  <?/"  Jkho- 
vah's  ivay  or'  salvation,  Prov.  viii.  Zi.  of  wnoin  God  said 
1  will  make  him  ibc  TiSi,  the  first-born^  higbcr  than  the  kirrs 
of  tbf  earib.  Ps.  Ixwix.  37.  And  we,  his  redeeiiicd,  heiny 
his  brethren,  nay,  members  of  bis  body\  ofbisfcsb,  and  of  bZ 
boneSy  are  privileged  to  enjoy  all  his  inheriiunce  /;;  him,  and 
are  thus  (according  to  the  promise)  made  princes  by  bim  in 
all  the  earth  ;  i.  e.  from  every  part  of  the  earth  are  called  to 
this  adoption.  Ps.  XLV.  16.  Thus,  it  appears,  wc  are  adr,pt- 
ed  iji  Christ,  and  because  we  are  bis  members  ;  wot  in  our' 
selves,  individually  or  separately  from  him.  IVc  were  slaves 
and  could  not  be  adopted  till  we  were  made  free  ;  and  we  had 
neither  wealth  nor  strength  of  our  own  to  purchase  or  pro- 
cure our  freedom.  He  paid  our  ransoai,  by  becoming  one  of 
■us,  by  suffering  for  us,  and  by  paying  down  the  full  taie  which 
God*s  righteous  justice  required:  To  which  the  apostle  Pe- 
ter alludes  ;  7^e  were  not  redeemed  with  corruptible  things,  as 
silver  and  gold — but  with  the  precious  blood  of  Christ,  i  Pet.  i. 
*8.  Hence,  we  are  said  to  be,  not  our  own,  oecause  we  are 
bought  with  a  price  ;  and  are  now  become  so  much  a  part 
of  our  gracious  Head,  that  if  men  persecute  us  or  do  us  good, 
they  do  it  to  Nim,  (A6ls  ix.  4.  Luke  x.  16.)  and  that  we  are 
all  one  in  him,  and  he  in  us,  John  xvii.  ai.  All  his  estate  is 
cur's  ;  and  whatever  he  gained  in  our  nature  by  being  a  son 
made  of  a  woman,  and  a  first- born  ;  he  gained  it  for  thos?, 
who  by  a  living  faith  are  united  to  him.  This  is,  and  to  eter- 
nity will  be  found,  an  immense  inheritance.  God,  by  his  a- 
postle,  hath  given  us  a  kind  of  sum  total,  bec::r>se  the  particu- 
lars of  it  are  innuijierable.  All  things aro.  ysicr''s  ;  whether 
Paul,  or  Apollo^,  or  Cephas,  [all  ministers  ar.d  cliurch-orji- 
nances]  or  the  world,  or  life,  or  death^  or  things  present  or 
things  to  come  ;  all  are  your's  :  and  ye  are  CwaisT's;  aid 
Christ /x  God's,    i    Cor.  iii.    zi — 23' — Look,  Christian,  if 

'With  the  word  of  truth,  and  presented  them  as  the  f.-rst-frxiits  of  ths 
Christian  church  unto  God  and  unto  the  Lamb.  And  from  that  time 
forward  doth  ]'Valdensisviox.Q.  [Thorn,  Waldcns,  Doch'inai.  Tom.  iii. 
tit.  16.  c.  140.]  that  the  Lord's  dayv:^^  observed  in  the  Christian 
church  in  the  place  of  the  Sabbath  :  '§htia  inter  legalia  (saith  he)  tune 
sublata  Sabbati  curAodia  fait  unum,  phinum  est  tunc  ititrasse  doniinicam 
loco  ejus  ;  sictit  baptisma  statim  loco  circumcisionis,  Adhuc  enim  super^. 
stes  erat  sanctus  Johannes,  qui  diceret  ;  et  fui  in  Spiritu  die  Domini- 
ca, Apoc,  \,  cum  de  Dominica  die  LmtsCJvisti  resurrsctioncm  nulla  pror- 
sus  rnentio  haberetur,  Sed  statim  post  missionem  Spiritus  SL.ncti,  lege 
novaful  -efrte,  in  humann  cv.Itn  subkitum  est  Sab'^ctum  ;  et  dies  Dominica 
res'jrrectionis  c^arescebat  Dominica,''  Sec  Archbishop  Usher's  life 
and  letters.     Letter  205. 


i88        SPIRIT     OF    A  D  O  P  T  I  O  N. 

any  thing,  which  thou  canst   want,  is  left  out   here;    or  see*,, 
if  Uiou  Cbirist  add  any  thing  to  the  sum  1 

This  is  '>xbat  we  are  adopted  to  /  and  tliis  is  the  way  of  our 
ado^;tioa,  namely,  in  Christ  Jesus  the  living  way.  "^But  we 
are  to  be  brought  into  this  way  ;:  we  are  to  be  grafted  intof 
Christ  ;  we  are  to  be  madi  alive  in  him  :  Ail  of  them  terms, 
expressive  of  our  inherent  weakness  and  incapacity,  and  of 
the  exercise  of  some  external  power.  The  very  term  adop- 
tion not  only  implies  our  former  alienation  (for  no  true  and- 
natural  son  cfuKi  be  adopted,  nor  any  who  possessed  an  heri- 
ditary  riglit  to  an  inheritance,)  but  also  that  we  are  the  mere 
subjects  and  not  in  any  sense  the  authors  of  it.  The  adoption 
musL  entirely  depend  upon  the  will  of  the  adopter.  The 
Scriptarc  hi^th  not  left  us  in  darkness  here.  God  never  ap- 
points an  end,  but  b.e  always  provides  the  means.  As  we  are 
the  fiy  St  fruits  in  Christ,  we  are  to  have  also  the  first  fruits  of 
the  Spirit,  R,oni-  viii.  2,3.  and  became  w<?  arc  sons  ^  and  fir  st- 
henic God  bath  sent  forth  the  Spirit  of  his  Son,  into  our 
hearts^  crying^  Abba^  Father  :  V/hcrefore,  ive  are  no  more  ser- 
vants^ but  sons  ;  and  if  sons^  then  heirs  of  God  through 
Christ.  Gal.  iv.  6,  7.  We  are  brought  therefore  into  this 
state,  or  born  again,  72Ct  of  bloody  nor  of  the  "joill  of  the  fleshy 
nor  cftbe  'will  of  man,  but  cfGod.  John,  i.- 13.  By  this  Spirit  of 
Adoption  it  is,  that  we  can  call  freely  upon  God,  claim  ta 
be  his  sons,  style  him  our  Father,  cur  tender  Father,  [Abba,J 
and  plead  all  the  benefits  of  our  adoption.  We  can  ask  for 
heaven  itself,  Vv/ithout  fear  of  asking  too  much  ;  because  we 
ask  for  cur  oK'jn,  and/26iy  our  own  just  inheritance.  As  heirs, 
we  can  stand  upon  our  heirship,  and  need  fear  nothing  but 
the  living  I'clow  it. 

We  have  here  the  means  of  our  adoption  before  us,  viz.. 
Christ  and  the  Spirit  :  And  are  not  the  means  adequate  to- 
tile  end  ^ — if  these  two  agents  be  divine  ;:  if  they  be  Jehovah 
himself;  they  certainly  are  equal  to  tlie  task  undertaken  by 
them.  But,  it  they  be,  in  any  sense  or  in  any  nature,  inferior 
to  Jehovah;  then  undiubttliy  thoy  are  not:  and  v/e  shall 
build  upon  creatures.,  nay  upon  sinful  creatures,  because  they 
undertake  to  do,  and  claim  the  glory  of  doing,  what  is  thcpe^ 
culiar  alone  of'  the  Aimighty. 

That  Christ  is  not,  reKpeiling  his  divine  nature,  inferior  ta 
Jehovah,  hal  Jehovah  himseij,  has  been  proved  in  the  former 
volume  ;  and,  therefoie,  lie  is  e([ual,  in  all  points,  to  the  a- 
gcr.cv,  which  was  underta-kvn  by  him.  Tiiac  the  Spirit  also 
);>  Jcboxab^  or  Tx  person  in  Jehovah^  seems  to  have  been  clear- 
ed jn  some  prcc.:cding  Ii.ssa\£  of  this  volume,  and  will  be  fur- 
ther manifest,  if  we  consider  tlie  gracious  character,  which 
he  hath  assumed,  ur.dcr  this  title  of  THE  Spirit  of  Adop- 
tion. 


SPIRIT     OF     ADOPTION.         i8p 

Among  men,  nobody  co^dlA  force  a  [jerson  to  adopt  anotlicr  ; 
but  it  was  always  an  a6l  of  the  freest  choice  and  libci-ality  ; 
Nor  could  any  one  be  adopted  to  inherit  an  estate,  not  bclon^^- 
iiig  to  the  adopter  himself.  So,  in  the  spiritual  adojuion/it 
is  an  'Ji6io{  sovereign  grace  o.nd  jncrcy  ;  and  the  inhet  ita.jce, 
consequent  upon  ic,  which  is  heaven  and  (dory,  is  the  adopt- 
er's own  property,  and  is  granted  as  such  to  every  adop'.cd 
child.  If  therefore  the  Spirit  be,  according  to  his  name,  the 
Spirit  of  Adoption^  and  brings  into  tlhe  heavenly  family  any 
worms  of  earth,  who  were  aliens  to  it,  constituting  them,  by 
that  afb,  the  very  children  of  God  ;  it  will  follow  irrcfii.>til)Iv,- 
that  \\\t  Spirit  himself  is  God,  or  he  gives  v/hat  he  lias  no 
right  to  give,  and  therefore  would  be  erroneously  styled,  for 
this  purpose,  the  Spirit  of  Adofnion.  But  as  this  last  is  ini- 
possiole,  because  it  would  overthrow  the  truth  of  the  Bible; 
it  follows,  that  the  Spirit  is  the  omnipotent  febovab^  who 
bestomis  the  grace  of  adoption,  in  oid^r  to  convey  the  inheri- 
tance of  glory,  which  glory  is  bis  own,  and  therefore y/'».^<r/); 
given  by  him  to  whomsoever  he  plcaseth.  VVcre  the  Spirit 
not  the  cvcrhsting  and  true  God  ;  hov;  could  his  adopticn 
make  the  redeemed  the  children  of  Gcd?  He  could  not  con- 
fer that  title,  nor  bear  witness  to  the  truth  of  it  in  their  souls, 
unless  the  title  God  were  his  oivn  just  title.  His  adoption 
otherwise  might  make  them  indeed  the  children  of  a  creature^ 
according  to  his  own  rank  and  eminence  ;  but  they  could  not 
be  made  by  such  adoption  the  children  of  the  Highest.  But 
we  read  of  no  angelic  adoption,  no  adoption  of  creatures  by 
creatures  for  glory,  nor  of  any  adoption  for  the  kingdom  of 
lieaven  established  by  any  one  inferior  to  the  King  of  heaven: 
And,  therefore,  tiie  Iioly  Spirit,  being  this  Spirit  of  Adop- 
tion, whereby  the  redeemed  cry,  Abba,  Father  ;  is  necessarily 
and  incontrovertibly,  from  the  word  of  truth  and  from  the 
fairest  and  most  obvious  dedu-flion,  true  and  very  God.  Here 
then  we  see  with  what  delightful  propriety  it  is  said,  that  as 
inany  as  are  led  by  the  Spirit  cf  Gcd,  they  are  the  sons  of  God; 
and^that  the  Spirit  itself  beareth  ^jjitness  'ivith  our  ^spirit,  that 
Kve  are  the  Children  of  God,  and  if  children  then  Hi:i.is, 
Heirs  ofGod,andjoisT  Heirs  with  Christ.  \Vg  see  also 
another  glorious  and  comfortable  truth  ;  that  it  was  God  the 
rather,  wlio  predestinated  us  unto  the  Vidoprion  of  children  by 
J'esus  Christ  to  himsef ;  £ph.  i.  5.  that  it  was  God  the  .V^/:, 
who  was  made  cf  a  ^^^onian.r.ijde  under  the  Lr^.  to  redeem  t^e.n 
that  "jiere  under  the  Ln\),  then  wt-  might  receive  the  adoption  of 
sons  ;  Gal.  iv.  4.  and  that  it  is  God  the  Spirit,  by  ^vose  Icuu 
in^,  or  forming,  ije  are  the  sons  of  God,  and  by  Kvhom  we  cry 
Abba,  Father.  Rom.  viil.  15.  The  whole  Tri.  icy  concurs  i.i 
bestowing  this  blessing  of  adoption  ,  because  U  it  the  result 
Vol.   H.  B  \ 


ipo         SPIRIT     or     ADOPTION. 

ot  dL  cove na fit  entered  into  between  the  divine  persons  from 
before  all  worlds,  and  therefore  both  in  pvospe6i;  and  retro- 
spect peite(Sliy  everiastiiig. 

The  last  cited  ttxt  furnishes  anotlier  invincible  argniiieiit 
for  the  Holy   Splrii's  divinity,     He  not  only  gives  a  tit/e  to^ 
iHit  makes  us  jit  for  the  enjoyment  of  the   inheritance.     The 
words  of  an  excellent  friend  have  furnished  the  following  va.- 
valiiable  hints  upon  the  subject  of  this  Es&ay.    "  When  a  hu- 
''  man  adopter  has  raised  a  poor  beggar,  he  may  enrich  him 
"  with  a  pnnceiy  fortune;  but  he  cannot  give  hirn  the  tern- 
"  per  andalTocti jn  ot  a  duriful  child.  The  aJopted  may  prove 
**  ungrateftii  :   He  may  abuse  the  favor,  and  be  worse  for  the 
"  adoption.     But  it  is  quite  otherv/ise,  when  God  gives  his 
*•-'  Spirit.      Hf,  at  the  sjme  time,  creates  spiritual  life  in  the 
"  adopted  son,  unittis  him  by  his  almighty   power  to  Jesus^ 
'■^  and  thereby  enables  him  to  live  by  faith  in  and  upon  jfesuSy 
''  through  whom  he  knows  and  finds  the  Father's  love.   Thus 
'^  he  forms  the  son  for  the  family.  Ke  lives,  as  Christ  does 
"  has  the  mind  of   Ciirist  ;   judges  of  things  as  Christ  does  ; 
"   has  the  same  aiTedlions  as  Christ,  i  John  v.  i,  2,  3.  has  the 
"  same  relations  with  Christ,  John  xvii.  21,  &c.  has  the  same 
"  inheritance,  Rom.  viii.  ly.  and  for  the  same  duration.  Rom.^ 
^'  vi.  2^3.     In  this  vitw,  the  Spirit  of  adoption   bestows  the 
"  hijiiiest   dignity,  vv?hich  a  creature   can   possibly  receive — '• 
*'  united  by  one  Spirit  to  Immanucl^  and  in  him  united  to  the 
*'  Father^  and  thereby  capable  of  enjoying  the  greatest  hap- 
*'  piness,  of  which  any   creature  can  possibly  partake,  even 
*'  to  be  a    partaker  of  the  divine   jiature.^^ — Can   the   agent, 
who  efl'ecleth  ail  this  grace  for  such  consummate  glory,  be 
any   other  than  yebovab  P  Could  a  creature  prepare  for  and 
bestow    crowns  and  kingdoms  in  heaven  ?   Is  it  possible  for 
any  being,  less  than  the   Supreme,  not  only  to  give  a  right  to 
enjoy  heaven,  but  to  change  the  heart,  renew  the  spirit,  and 
to  qualify  tlie  believer  for  heaven?   Yet   ihs  Spirit  of  Adop- 
tion hath  this  oiHce  to  perform  ;   an  office  as  much  beyond  the 
power  of  the  creatures,  as  it  is  beyond  the  strength  of  a  mite 
to  move  a  world.     It  is  a  jiew  creatio?7^  and  consequently  the 
work  of  an  Aln:ighty  Creator  ;   a  restoration  to  the  ifruige  of 
God^  wliich  God  only  could  form  at  first,  and  reform  when  de- 
faced.     It  is,    therefore,   said,  that  God  did  prcdtstinatc  his 
people  to  I'j  CO 'formed  to  tbn  inuipr.  of  bis  Son  ;   and  then  it  is 
added,  tbo-i   sucb  H£  also    called^  and  justficd^  and  glorified  ; 
all    which  is  efPecP.ed  by  the   interrjal  operation  of  the   divin<^ 
.Spirit.   The  fallen  angels,  v.ho  are  great  in  power  and  migiit, 
cannot   recover  themselves:   nor  can  all  the  unfallen  spirits 
round  the    throne  blot  out  one  sin,  convert  one  soul,  or  con- 
fer one  grace,  upon  tids  polluted  globe.   Tbc  good  that  is  done 
Upon  L'ar:b,Jzno-vAii  doe^b  bimse/J'/  and  cenuinly,  tlien,  that 


SPIRIT     or     A   D  O  ?  T  I  O  N.  ipi 

Holy  Spirit  can  be  no  other  than  jchovaii,  who  cloetli  ilie 
greatest  good,  wiiich  ever  can  bf  clone  upon  it,  In  leualitt'- 
souls  by  his  grace  to  etcraal  salvation. 

Thus  it  ajipears,  that  the  ^reat  s['.iiitual  Adopter,  or  Spirit 
^f  Adoptioti^  is  an  almighty,  free,  and  soveieign  agent  ;  that, 
accordingly,  he  bestoweih  his  ad.j))tion,  on  \v/join  lie  '^illy  ids 
Will  being  agreeable  to  tli-j  covenant  of  grace  \vhic!\  was 
framed  by  himself  and  th'::  oiher  divine  peisons  ,  that  thjie, 
whom  he  adopts,  have  his  inlluencc  upon  their  scuils,  reiicw- 
inj,  guiding,  and  iijipiimg  thern  to  call  u.pon  God  as  their 
Father  ;  that  they,  therefore,  are  led  in  this  way  from  the 
lo'/e  of  din  to  a  thirst  after  more  and  n^ore  righteousness, 
as  A\\  earnest  of  their  inberitance  ;  and  that,  linally,  they  are,^ 
brought,  by  the  same  Sp'rii^  to  the  full  enjoy:iUM;t  pf  tjiat  in- 
heritance in  li:s  everlasting  kingdom,  wheie  they  reign  trium- 
ph.mt  kings  and  holy  prijsts  in  unucierabie  glory.  From  this 
view,  we  may  perceive  tliat  God  the  Spiri^'^s  adoption  is  not 
a  matter  of  hypothesis  or  speculation,  but  of  life,  rediiiy,  a  id. 
pow^er  ;  and  that  they,  who  are  blessed  with  it,  are  privileg- 
ed even  here,  in  some  degree,  to  know  it,  to  feel  it,  and  to  ^w- 
Jo>'  it.  An  unknown  earnest  aoxxl^h^  ;:9  earnest  at  all,  and  can 
answer  no  end  for  vvhich  any  earnest  could  be  given,  namely, 
the  assu'^ance  or  testimony  of  a /i/^wrt'  inheritance.  A  spe- 
culative earnest  (admitting  there  could  be  any  sense  in  the 
term)  v/ould  be  ir.uch  the  same  ;  for  v/hatever  floats  only  in 
the  fancy,  without  renewing  the  soul,  may  indeea  be  finely 
fanciful  and  extremely  curious,  arid  so  are  many  romances  j 
but  it  could  have  no  effe6l,  but  what  romances  have, — cor- 
rupt and  puff  up  tlie  niind  and  render  the  man  not  one  tittle 
the  better  for  it.  0;i  the  contrary,  God's  Spirit  fills  the  soul, 
at  times,  with  the  serise  and  impression  of  his  adoption,  makes 
the  man  alive  to  Gv)d,  serious,  devout,  and  thankful,  gives 
him  a  taste  of  heaven  in  his  affections,  opens  the  evidcncs 
iind  truth  of  his  ov/n  word  to  tne  mi:id,  and  yields  him  that 
faith  and  hope  of  glory,  by  which  he  hates  sin,  overcomes  the 
world,  and  at  last  is  a  conqueror  aikd  more  than  a  conqueror 
over  hell  and  death  itself.  Now  as  ChriiJtians  are  men  like 
others,  endued  with  the  same  senses  and  appetites,  carrying 
the  same  corrupt  hearts  and  alTec^ions,  and  naturally  loving^ 
case,  and  pleasure,  and  honor,  and  riches,  like  all  the  rest  of 
the  world  :  Can  it  be  a  mere  notion  or  idea,  which  enables 
them,  in  any  degree,  to  turn  from  thise  things,  to  consider, 
t!;em  as  lying  vanities,  to  desire  that  these  inbred  corrup- 
tions should^be  subdued,  to  deny  the  flesh  and  its  lusts,  and 
to  pant  for  (what  will  crucify  them  entirely)  the  enjoyment 
oL-  a  spiritual  good  beyOnd'th^  reach  of  all  animal  gratifl- 
cation.^  Is  it  a  mere  whim,  a  fond  ciiimera,  by  which 
thev   rise  and  have   risen   superior  to   ll:e  world,  and  loii^ 


igz  SPIRIT     OF     ADOPTION. 

for  the  presciice  of  Christ  and  the  communion  of  his  Spirit  ? 
— Surely,    there     must    be     something    more    in    the    case, 
strengthened  as  it  is  by  a  v/ondsrfui  uniformity  of  this  princi- 
ple in  aii  ages,  against  the  current  maxims  and  sentiments  of 
the  world  :   Anc*  it  might  seem  a  matter  of  surprize  (w-ere  the 
renscn  unknown,)  tl  at  our  inquisitive  philosophers,  who  com- 
pass the  world  in  search  of  plants  and  butterflies  ;  cur    acute 
naturalists  and  chemists,  who  attempt  to  dive  into  the  depths 
of  nature  ;  and  our  enlarged  astronomers,  who  are  for  measur- 
ing and  exploring  worlds   upon  worlds  ;  that  all  these  know- 
ing and  ingenious  people  never  enter  into  a  due  investigation 
of   this  far  more  interesting  phcenom.enon  in  that  little  great 
world,  called  man.     Till  this   be  done,  it  is  absurd   and  un- 
V.  crthy  of  them,  as  men  of  science,  to  call  it  by  an  ///  namc^ 
and  so  get  rid  of  the  matter   by  writing  (Enthusiasm  upon  the 
back  of  it.      The  refuge  of  ignorance  in   occult  qualities  has 
been    so  much    and  so  justly   exploded,  that  it  is  rather   ex- 
traordinary that  philosophers,  at  this  time  of  day,  can  venture 
to  contradicl  their  own    principle,  by   making  use  of  it.-    For 
if  they  be  asked,  what  this  enthusiasm  is,  which  has  been  so 
long  exemplified  in  prophets,  apostles,  martyis,  and  believers 
in  every   age,  they  are  generally  honest  enough  to    co  dess, 
that  they  never  yV /if,   or   experienced^  or  kneiv    tliis    strange 
things  this  occult  quality^  in  themselves.     Will  they  term  it 
jl'IadnessP  iVladuess  is  a  deviation  from  all  rule  \   And  if  we 
prove  what   they  venture   to  call  enthusiasm   to  be  stri^ly  a- 
greeable  to   the   rule  of  God  in  his   word;    what  must  that 
principle  be  called  (let  it  be  adorned  with  the  name  oi  rea- 
sovf  or  any  other  fin:-*  titlej  which  not  only  deviates  from  this 
perfe(!^t  rule,  but  dares  to  oppose  and   contradi6l  it?    Either 
the  rule  reveoUd  is    no  rule  ;  or  their's    is   the  madness^   who 
wander  from  it.     And  if  we  ask,  how  it   can  possibly  be  ra- 
tional in  these  great  masters  of  reason  to  call  by  any  name  a 
subjeil,   vv'ich   the   properties  of  which  they  are   confessedly 
iinacquai.,icd,  and  whether,  without  ground,    they  may  not 
sooner  impose  a 'ti.'rii;:^  name  than   2.  right ;    their   ratiocina- 
tion is,  to  justify  themselves  b\'  holding  up   their  knowledge 
in  other  things,  aiid  bearing  us  dou'n  with  them.     But  is   this 
more  correct  than  the  conduct  ot   Pbidias's  tobler,  who,  be- 
c?.use  he  knew  how  to  cover  a  man's  foot,  vvould  presume  to 
knov/  the  anatomical  stru<!?lurc  of  a  man   himselr.^ — We  will 
only  add,  that  it  may  be  honest  for  a    person  to  confess  v/hat 
he  doth  not  know,  though  not  quite  so  wise  to  Condemn  it : 
A:  d,  therefore,   Fhidias^s   proverb   may  be  applied  to   these 
rcascntrs^    aiid   to    reason    itself,   upon    spiritual    things — ne 
5  itor  ultra  crepidum.     When   it  pleases  God    to   impart  the 
knovv'ledge  of  his  truth,  as  in  niercy  he  hath  sometimes  done, 
to  the  great  and  learned  of  this  world;  they  first   feel,  that 


SPIRIT     or     ADOPTION.  193 

they  mi:st  become  fools  m  01  tier  to  be  ivise  ;  and  they  soon  af- 
ter know  ihat  the  wisdom  and  grace  oFCiod  are  not  to  be 
caJled  b)  hard  and  cporcbrious  names,  wiuiout  a  vcrv  iiit;h 
ir.er.sure  of  j-//7V7"i:.7:/ piesuii.ption  and  fclh-.  They  tiicn  per- 
ceive and  are  ready  enough  to  own.,  that,  »iS  tit  vi'isuom  of  tuts 
^Morta  is  foolisbiiiiss  ivttb  Gcd^  a  man  i;iay  reckon  hiiwseii"  and 
be  estetuied  by  the  v/orid  for  very  wire  snd  kr.owir.g,  and  yet, 
aFtcr  ail,  be  a  nifgnificcnt  fool,  cr  elevated  madman,  icni  of 
mere  tinsel,  and  satished  with  mere  sounds. 

But,  leaving  these,  hath  God  the  Spirit^  O  believer,  bcert 
graciously  pleased  to  communicate  his  blessed  udopticn  to 
thee;  and  what  is  thy  language  and  frame?  The  psaln:ist 
will  describe  it  exadily,  and  with  a  divine  pathos,  which  it  is 
thy  privilege  likewise' to  leel :  *'  Wbai  shall  I  render  unto  the 
Lord,  jar  alt  bis  beucjits  to\:crds  vie  '?  \\  hat  shall  I  ofier  to 
him,  who  hath  had  such.  /'^O?  such  tciuh'r  love  and  pity,  on  so 

])oor  and  despicable  a  worm  as   n:e  :" Render!   Thou  like 

Diivid^  canst  render  nothing.  Do,  then,  as  he  did — re- 
ceive mere  ;  take  the  cup  of  suivdiion^  that  full  cup  of 
grace  and  truth,  and  call  npen  the  name  cf  the  LjRd, 
that  he  may  enable  thee  to  take  still  more  and  more 
from  it.  Thou  hast  not  grace  of  thine  own  so  n^.uch  as 
to  thank  him  for  grace  given ;  and,  therefore.  He  givetb 
more  grace  to  grace  recei\ed,  that  thou  mayest  praise  and 
bless  his  holy  nauie  for  thy  free  reception  of  it.  O  what  a 
gracious  Spirit  of  Adoption  is  this  1  He  not  only  confers  a 
blessing,  b^ut  sutlers  it  not  to  be  lost  upon  us,  nor  sunk  into 
the  corruption  and  unthankfulness  of  our  nature  :  lie  works 
the  praise  in  our  hearts,  which  is  due  to  him  for  his  adoption 
bestowed  upon  our  souls.  Thus  all  ^'  our  works,"  every 
thing  exerted  in  us,  and  carried  on  by  otir  instrumentality, 
*'  are  begun,  continued,  and  ended  in  him."  He  gives  buth 
will  and  power,  defends  us  in  all  operations,  and  crowns 
them  with  eventual  success  by  his  effectual  blessing. 

How  deeply,  how  inconceivably,  art  thou  indebted  to  this 
almi^btv  Spirit^  O  thou,  who  art  one  of  \i\s  first-born  and 
first-fruits  for  glory!  Know,  as  much  as  thou  mayest,  of  his 
grace  ;  taste,  as  much  c.s  thou  canst,  of  his  love  ;  enjoy,  as 
much  as  thcu  art  ablc^  cf  his  power;  thou  mayest  say  more 
£tri(!niy  than  the  queen  of  Shcba  said  to  Solomon,  thai  not  on- 
ly not  the  balfhvx  not  the  ten  thousandth  part  of  his  vvisd  )m 
and  goodness  hath  ever  been  told  thee.  And  it  never  can  be 
told  thee.  Angels  pry  into  this  unsearchable  love  ;  but,  sidl 
findi:.;::  it  unsearchable,  cannot  express  it;   And  when  thou 


hast  enjoyed  it  for  myriads  of  ages,  ard  comnrehendjd  worlds 
after  worlds  of  his  covumunicabie  glories  ;  thy  tinite  faculties 
;  yet  view  an  infinite  profound  of  ineflable  love,  wisdo 
truth  ;  acr  to  be  dived  into,  but  never  to  be  f.itho:r.ed 


and 


i94  SPIRIT     OF     ADOPTION. 

explored.  In  heiiven,  th  u  wilt  see,  as  much  as  thou  canst 
bear  and  enjoy  }  but  thou  wiit  not  see  all:  Thy  God  will 
comprehend  thee,  and  all  the  blest,  will)  happiness  and  splen- 
dor ;  v/hiie  he  hims-.  Ir  can  be  comprehended  of  none. 

And  while  thou  art  a  prisoner  in  the  body,  remember,  dear 
Christiajij  that  thou  art  an  bcir  of  God  hy  adoption,  and  a  co- 
heir with  Christ  Jesus  in  love.  Walk  worthy  of  this  high 
vocation^  with  ivhich  thou  art  called:  W:!k,  like  the  king'g 
eon,  and  not  like  a  slave  of  the  devil.  The  e}es  of  ail^  are 
upon  thea:  The  eye  of  the  world,  to  cen3iire  thee  ; ,  the  eye 
of  Satan,  to  distress  thee  ;  the  eye  of  the  church,  to  be  ediii- 
cd  by  thee  ;  the  eye  of  angels,  to  glorify  God  for  thee  ;  the 
eye  of  Christ,  to  intercede  in  thy  behalf;  and  the  all-seeing 
eye  of  JEHOVAH,  to  whom  thou  criest,  ASda^  Father^  to  pro- 
tect and  bless  thee.  Walk  and  speak  among  men,  as  in  the 
presence  of  Gud  ;*  and  the  presence  of  God  will  be  known 
in  ihy  cluset,  and  in  thy  soul.  Say  to  thyself;  *'"  1  am  adopt- 
*'  ca  into  God's  family,  and  from  being  an  execrable  siave, 
''  am  made  h'lsjreeman^  his  jo/z,  and  his  heir,  I  am  entitled, 
"  through  my  redeeming  Lord^  my  Fricjid  and  my  Brother^  to 
*'  all  the  privileges  of  crace,  set  forth  in  bis  declared  will ; 
*'  I  have  tasted  some  of  these  privileges,  as  an  unperishing 
**"  earnest  of  an  unperiphable  inheriunncc  ;  and  I  am  assured, 
"  that  1  shall  Xi-^vi:  full  possession  in  the  best  time,  and  for  e- 
*'  vermore.  What  tlien  becomes  me  ?  What  ought  such  a 
"  person  to  do  ?  How?  ought  he  to  ilink,  and  speak,  and  live? 
*■'■  Lord  I  I  am  ashamed  of  myself;  I  am  covered  with  con- 
*'  fusion  and  abasement,  that  I,  for  whom  thou  hast  done  so 
"  much,  am  living  and  doing  so  little  for  thee  I  I  how  my  Sw/ul 
'^  before  thee,  in  deep  contrition,  and  acknowledge,  with  all 
*^  compunction  of  spirit,  that  I  am  vile  and  ungrateiul,  and 
"  that,  if  thy  ?nercj  did  not  eiidure  for  ever,  it  could  not 
"  have  endured  to  put  up  with  so  base  a  worm  as  me,  with 
"  such  long-suiTerlng  and  grace.  I  own,  that  if  thy  good- 
*'  ness  had  lasted  no  longer  than  my  deserts  ;  i  should 
*'  have  lost  thy  goodness,  in  the  moment  thou  didst  be- 
''  stow  it  upon  me  1  O  pity  my  weakiiess,  which  Thou 
"  knewest  from  my  birth,  and  which  thou  uuderstandest 
*'  better  than  I  do  myself;  and  suit  all  the  mercies  of 
'*  thy  holy  adoption,  to  my  various  occasions  and  thine 
''  own  glory.  I  only  know  and  feel,  that  I  ivouldhe  thiiie 
*'  and  none  but  thine  for  ever:  And  this  sense  and  knov^^lege 
"  thy  grace  alone  conveyed  to  my  heart  ;  for  by  nature  I  ne- 
"  ver  found  then)  there.     Cause  me,  therelore,  to  live  as  bc- 

*  An  heathen  could  say,  Sic  loquendum  est  cum  liominibus  tan- 
quam  Dii  audiant.  "  Men  oup,ht  to  speak  \yith  incDj  as  thou;rh 
God  were  to  hear.     Macros.  Sat.  1.  i.  c  7, 


SPIRIT     OF     FAIT  H.  195 

**  Cometh  thy  gospel^  my  own  happip.css,  :\\\X  my  everlastv.  r^ 
''  my  unchangeable  relaiioa  to  thoe.  Cause  me  to  live  more 
*'  and  more  like  one,  who  hatha  title  and  a  hope  to  live,  with 
*'  an  innumerable  company  of  holy  beings,  with  an  iioly  Je- 
*'  KUs,  and  with  thee  my  holy  and  my  heavenly  Father,  l^or 
*'  ever  and  ever.  O  let  it  never  be  said,  that  my  ton^ijc  and 
*'  my  life  are  at  variance;  lest  1  conclude  against  myseK, 
*'  that  thou  and  I  never  were  agreed,  that  I  am  not  thine  a- 
"  dopted  child,  but  only  a  presumptuous  pretender  to  an  in- 
'*  heritance  entirely  unmeet  for  me. — 1  fall  down  bc{"()rc  il^.y 
*•  throne:  O  make  me  to  be,  wiiat  thou  wouldest  have  me  to 
*'  be  ;  and  let  me  be  thai  to  all  eternity  I" 

Whoever  thou  art,  that  canst  utter  this  cry,  take  courage 
and  peace:  It  is  the  voice  of  the  Spirit  of  adoption  within 
thee.  O  go  on,  and  prosper  :  The  LoRU  eidi^hten  thee,  and 
give  thee  peace  ;  give  thee  every  earnest  of  his  blessing, 
tvcvy  Jirst-fniit  of  his  glory  below,  and,  in  his  own  tinie 
which  is  ti:e  best  time  for  thee,  an  abundant  entrance  into 
bis  everlasting  kingdom  !     Amen. 

That  GOD  should  lift  an  holy  creature 
From  earth  to  reign  with  him  above. 

Would  shew,  were  such  in  human  nature, 
A  vast  transcendency  of  love. 

But  when  his  grace  a  traitor  blesses, 

AVilh  the  full  title  of  an  heir. 
To  his  own  kingdom  and  caresses, 

O  who  can  tell,  what  love  is  there  \ 


SPIRIT    OF    FAITH. 

7AITH  is  supposed  to  have  various  acceptations  in  tiie 
JL  word  of  God,  which  mav  easily  be  reduced  to  one  plain 
definition.  But  faith,  emphatically  so  called,  or  saving  laith, 
wrought  in  the  heart  by  the  regeneration  of  the  Spirit  of 
God, "is  what  we  mean  to  treat  of  in  this  Essay,  and  what  we 
understaT.d  to  be  particularly  designed  for  the  charaaer  of  it!» 
divine  as-cnt,  in  this  title  of  Spiiiit  of  Faith.  ^ 

To  unXlerstand  with  precision  the  terms  used  m  Scripture, 
we  must  recur  to  that  sacred  langur.-e,  in  which  they  were 
oricriiuliy  delivered,  it  is  hcla  fair  and  just  xn  all  other  booxi 


195  SPIRIT     OF     FAITH. 

to  take  the  author's  own  words  ;  but  it  is  of  the  greatest  im- 
portance in  reading  the  Book  of  God,  to  see  the  exactness 
and  force  with  v/hichall  tilings  are  expressed. 

The  wordfaitb  is  derived  from  the  root  ^oa  amcn^  which 
signifies,  to  Jix\  or  rest^  as  upon  a  foundation,  to  confid.'  that 
a  thing  is  according  to  a  representetion  gWQn^Jlriniy  to  trust 
and  desire,  that  a  matter  is  and  siiali  be  agreeable  to  tlie  pro- 
mise j;)d  assurance  proposed  concerning  it.  Wiien  the  prayers 
were  ended  to  God,  or  the  promises  given  from  God,  the  an- 
tieut  chuich  used  to  say  Amen  to  them  ;  that  is,  we  believe 
that  these  things  are  gracious  and  true,  and  we  desire  their 
fuh'iilment.  The  Christian  church,  in  all  countries,  has  re- 
tained this  Hebrew  word  for  tlie  same  use:  And  the  primi- 
tive Christian  churcli,  who  spoke  the  Greek  language,  em- 
ployed the  nearest  word  they  had  to  express  the  same  idea. 
Xli^tSf  failh^  infers  the  persuasion  and  agreement  of  the  mind 
and  v/ill,  that  a  thing  is  to  be  received  and  desired  as  true: 
And  th.e  Latin y/uVj  is  taken  from  two  words,  which  nearly 
exDiess  the  ser.se  of  Amcn^  fiat  dicrunij  i.  e.  ''  13e  it  so,  ac- 
cording as  it  IS  spoken."  ^ 

Vv  e  see  tiieii  that  faith  regards  triitb^  and  cannot  exist. 
W'ithout  it,  ?.ny  more  than  a  house  can  stand  without  a  foun- 
dation.  And  truth  is  that  existing  substance  which  agrees  or 
13  correiatire  wi?.h  the  idea  or  persuasion  of  its  existence,  na- 
med faith.  When  we  say,  a  thing  is  ;  we  mean  the  truth  of 
its  beinc;:  The  beliefs  that  it  /x,  arises  from  the  agri,r2ment  of 
the  mind  with  that  tiuth,  v/hen  the  mind  is  exercised  upon  it. 
Thus,  he  that  cometb  to  God^  nv.ist  believe  that  H:  is.  That 
God  exists,  is  the  truth  ;  and  the  agreement  or  persuasion  of 
t'^e  mind  iS  iliafaitb^  wliich  influences   the  man  to  come  uiito 

God. 

Truths  then,  is  the  proper  foundation  for  all  credibility  ; 
and  God''s  trutii  the  only  foundation  of  Christian  credibility, 
o\-  faitb.  There  can  be  no  foundation  without  truth;  and, 
cov.scouently,  wojaitb  without  this  foundation. 

But'the  foundation  must  be  laid;  that  is,  the  truth  must  be 
published^  or  faith  cannot  rest  upon  it.  God,  therefore,  hath 
revealed  and  published  his  truth,  which,  before  his  revelation 
of  it,  must  ha\  e  been  bid  in  himself  as  its  proper  essence. 

When  this  truth  is  published,  it  is  not  absolutely  essential 
to  the  agreement  of  the  mind  or  to  the  cor.currence  of  faith, 
that  the  truth  should  be  fully  comprcber,ded^  either  in  the 
rxWnt  or  in  the  manner  of  its  existence  ;  because,  in  such  a 
CJ'-e,  the  mind  of  a  man  could  propeil)-  believe  little  or  no- 
lidn*'.  We  know  not  the  mode  o{  hi:\ug  in  any  natural  sub- 
stances ;  and  if  full  comprehension  were  essential  to  faith, 
we  could  not  receive  much  of  the  revelation  of  God,  because 
we  cannot  explain  some  of  its  mysteriesj  such,  for  instance 


SPIRIT     OF     FAITH.  197 

as  the  revealed  account  of  God's  existence,  the  doctrine  of 
the  incarnation,  and  some  other  points  wlilch,  at  least  in  this 
world,  will  ever  be  tlic  mysteries  of  J (litO.  Nay,  we  ctndd 
not  believe  much  concerning  oul-  own  nature,  and  very  lit- 
tle indeed,  or  rather  nothing,  concerning  the  state  cf  our 
future  being.-j- 

As  all  truth  proceeds  from  God:  he  is,  and  he  calls  hi(n- 
self,  THE  Truth  emphatically  :  He  is  the  source  of  all  reali- 
ty. Wliat  therefoi  e  proceeds  from  him,  must  be  true  ;  and 
thus  the  matters,  which  lie  hath  declared  ov  cljne^  are  vicni- 
fesUitions  or  revelations  of  his  truth  ad  extra^  c  to  his  peo- 
ple, and  as  such  are  to  be  received  by  them.  What  is  com- 
municable (even  though  it  be  not  fully  coniprehcnsihle)  of  this 
truth,  belongs  to  them  to  whom  he  extends  it.  This  exten- 
sion, in  spiritual  tilings,  is  now  given  through  his  written 
word;  as  formerly  (in  the  wisest  arrangement)  it  was  by  vo- 
cal prophecy,  or  other  sensible  communication.  In  both, 
however,  it  was  only  understood,  as  well  in  order  as  degree, 
according  to  the  will  of  the  giver.  John  xvi.  12,.  JNIark  iv.  33, 
Prov.  iv.  18. 

Hence,  these  manifestations  or  revelations,  in  the  word, 
are  real  and  immoveable  Truths  necessary  and  credible, /^r 
iis,  zvitb  us,  and  in  us. 

They  proceed  from  Him,  as  their  cause  ;  are  efTedled  by 
Hiin  as  their  agent  ^  and  tend  to  Him  as  their  end. 

They  descend  for  us,  as  grounds  o£  ouvjaitb  ;  are  with  us, 
for  strengthening  our  vope  ;  and  remain  experiiuentaliy  in  us, 
as  the  means  or  earnest  used  for  our  salvation. 

When  we  say  us,  we  mean  "  all  the  ele6l  people  of  God." 
In  this  view,  the  apostle  says,  that  tbc  bouse  of  God  is  ths 
church  of  the  living  God,  rwAoi  xa/  B^pr^ij.x  which  some  translate, 
j)i//ar  and  ground,  others  better,  tbe  station  and  seat  of  tbc 
irutb.\      I  Tim.  iii.  15.      God  is  the  trutb  ,-   and  so  subordi- 

t  Dr.  Jonathan  Edwards,  in  his  valuable  P.esei-'^ctive  cgair.st 
Socinianisvi,]u^i\y  observes,  "  That  in  matters  of  faith,  we  must  be 
"  content  with  God's  aSirmation,  ivbether  we  do  or  do  not  cc'»ijir<;. 
"  hcnd  those  divine  truths,  which  he  hath  revealed.  Which  com- 
"  prehension  ought  to  be  of  no  regard  in  these  matters  ;  it  bein^ 
"extrinsical  to  the  true  ixnd  formal  reason  of  believing  ;  which  is 
"  not  resolved  into  the  evidence  of  the  thing  [i.  e.  as  it  ex'sts  in 
"  itself]  but  into  the  authority  of  God,  and  the  truth  and  artainty  of 
"  his  revelations."  Part  iii.  p.  56. 

S  Dr.  Guyse,  upon  the  place,  takes  the  pillar  and  ground  of  the 
truth  here  to  mean  the  truth  oftheoospel,  or  Christ  in  it.  But  this 
supposition  seems  to  destroy  the  preseU  allusion  of  tnc  apostle,  and 
is  not  warranted  by  the  construction  of  the  language.  'Tis  proba- 
Me,  if  the  apostle  had  written  in  Hebrew,  he  would  have  used,  for 
Vol.   II.  C  c 


199  SPIRIT     or     FAITH. 

r.aldy  are  the  revelatiotis  from  him:  The  church  is  the  co- 
lumn raised  upon  this  truth  as  upon  its  its  proper  fouiidaiion, 
and  is  ai£o  the  jt'^;  oi  place  where  all  these  rt-velations  con- 
centrate, and  whv^re  only,  as  to  application,  they  will  ever  be 
found.  There  is  no  c^lwnin  oy pillar  which  will  be  acknow- 
ledged out  of  the  temple  of  the  living  God  ;  because  this  tem- 
ple is  the  only  edifice  upon  earth  which  is  founded  upon  the 
trutb  of  God.  His  testin^.onies  are  now,  and  always  were, 
Kvl^bin  the  sanctuary,  and  in  the  tabernacle^  'whicb  God  pitched 
and  not  7nan.  The  apostle  alluded  to  the  structure  of  the 
outward  temple,  and  oF  those  columns  in  it,  which  bear  the 
ve.y  name  oi faith  in  the  original  language,  and  are  no  unapt 
symbols  of  it.  For,  as  the  material  columns  rested  upon  the 
rock  Moriah^  cr  holy  mountain  ;  so  the  faith  of  the  church 
cciiectivcly,  and  of  every  individual  in  it,  stands  upon  that 
truth,  which  God  hath  revealed  in  Christ,  v/ho  hath  framed 
them  as  a  spiiitual  tem.ple  for  his  glory.  Eph.  ii.  2,2,, 
Rev.  iii.  12. 

From  this  ground  of  faith,  and  from  its  name^  both  impart- 
ed by  God  ;  v/e  may  be  able  to  form  a  just  idea  oi faith  itself, 
and  to  consider  it,  as  that  gift  of  grace  to  the  sotily  by  ivbicb 
it  stands  upon  the  trutb  of  Gcd^for  the  attainraent  of  those 
blessings^  K\}hich  that  truth  promises  and  reveals. 

If  (jod  hath  threatened  ;  faith  believes,  that  the  threat 
shall  be  accomplished:  If  he  hath  promised;  it  is  persuaded 
also,  that  the  promise  shall  be  fulfilled.  Hence  it  turns  away 
from  the  evil  which  is  the  ground  of  the  tlireat,  and  appro- 
priates the  good  which  the  promise  discovers.  Failli  credits 
the  blessings  upon  the  foundation  of  God\s  word  and  pro- 
mise, and  claims  those  blessings  for  its  own,  only  be- 
cause God  hath  engaged  to  bestov/  them.  As  this  grace 
of  faith  cannot  build  upon  mere  notions,  or  upon  any  thing 
imperfedl  as  to  its  certainty,  but  requires  a  sure  foundation  ; 
so  God  hath  provided  this  foundation  in  himself.  He  hath 
given  his  w^/y/,  as  so  much  communicable  truth  from  himself, 
on  which  laith  may  ground  itself;  and  th.us  ultimately  it 
readies  up  to  and  rests  upon  God  himself.  The  v/ord  reveals 
Christy  declares  the  grace  of  the  spirit  and  the  love  of  the 
Father,  and  discovers  so  much  of  their  covenant-engagements 
for  sinners,  as  is  necessary  for  the  knowledge  of  tlieir  salva- 
tion. Accordingly,  the  word  contains  the  promises  of  anhap- 

tbe  Greek  words  abovennentioiicd,lZ3"!p:i  rr272K"nK  the  cokumi  [view- 
ing the  mental  sense]  and  place  of  all  God's  truth  amont^  men.  For 
tills  reason,  the  psalmist  desired,  as  the  one  zA/«^^  needful,  to  dwell 
in  the  hj:/:j  of  the  LoRD,  and  to  inquire  in  his  temple,  Ps.  xxvii. 
4.— .Christ  is  certainly  tlie  foundation  ;  but  these  words  appear  td 
mean  someihing  upon  it. 


SPIRIT     OF     FAITH.  199 

fy  ancl  eternal  lif^',  and  points  out  tlie  mtans  aixl  maiinLiiii 
its  attainment.  And,  as  tliis  whole  world  is  ostabllsh-.-  i  of 
the  hand  of  a  personal  Mediator  ;  so  this  Mtdialor  is  fre- 
quently Culled  the  Word  itself,  in  whom  all  the  covenarit 
and  its  promises  are  framed,  and  through  v>^hom  they  arc  car- 
ried forth  unto  his  ]>eople.  *  Christ,  therefore,  this  Media- 
tor, liath  taken  also  che  name  o? 'Truth,  (Rev.  iii.  I4')  and  as 
fluch,  is  become  the  /^as/s  ovfonndution  of  his  people.  He  was 
appointed  to  this  purpose  by  Jkhovah  :  Ami,  thvrefore,  Jk- 
HOVAH  hath  said,  Btbold^  I  lay  in  Zionfor  a  foundation^  a 
ston(^  a  tried  stone  ^  a  precious  corner-stone^  o  sure  foundation: 
He  that  belitveib^  shall  not  make  haste.     Isaiah  xxviii.    i^'- 

From  this  ground  oi  faith,  we  may  see  further  into  the  nc- 
ture  of  faith  itself.  Consistent  with  what  it  proceeds  fro^n, 
and  on  what  it  stands,  iaith  must  be  certitude  in  res^^cCl  to 
its  obj-idl,  as  that  is  certainty  ;  and  certitude  also,  in  rcspeft 
to  the  nature  of  its  apprehension^  because  it  is  a  gruce  arising 
from  a  divine  power,  and  not  the  accidental  impulse  of  a  fal- 
len creature.  It  takes  for  an  infallible  position,  that  God  is 
true^  and,  for  a  position,  equally  infallible,  tliat  his  promises, 
or  the  things  promised  by  him,  are  also  true  and  real ;  thoui^h 
they  cannot  he  the  obje6\s  of  immediate  science  to  the  mind, 
nor  oi present  sense  to  the  body.  Hence,  we  see,  that  faith  it 
Tiol  opinion  ;  because  opinion  implies  r/>^^;.*  And  doubt  is 
contrary  to  the  nature  of  faith,  which  is  Found.-d  upon  the 
certainty  of  God  in  his  word.  Nor  is  it  knovjf.edgc  ;  because 
knowledge  infers  the  presence  or  enjoyment  of  a  thing  at  some 
past  time.  But  faith  is  certitude  respe6\ing  things,  not  yet 
seen  or  possessed;  which  is  the  hi,j:h  encomium  u;'ven  cf  it 
in  all  the  examples,  recited  in  the  xith  chapter  of  the  Episllc 
to  the  Hebrews. 

Faith  is  certitude  in  itself;  but  there  is  as  great  a  diiTer- 
cnce  in  its  proportions,  as  between  the  grain  of  mustanl  zzzX 
when  cast  into  the  ground,  and  afterwards  when  it  becomes 
a  great  tree.  The  seed  lind  trlie  tree  in  embryo  ;  but  the  tree 
did  not  then  discover  itself.  Sd  there  is  a  distindion  between 
faith  and  Xn^.  fidl  cssurance\  of  faith  :  or  they  would  not  have 
been  distinguished  in  Scripture  by  differeu  names.  Faith, 
given  to  the  soul,  in  regeneration,  is  the  grain  which  can 
scarce  be  discerned  at  first  by  the  soul  itself,  and  still  le.js  i)y 

t  WiTsius  has  colleaed  several  excellent  judc^ments  of  learned 
divines  upon  this  point:  Perhaps  none  of  them  is  more  clear  and 
pious,  than  the  following  from  Perkins.  Nam  licit  omnis  fdes  ex 
natura  sua  sit persnasio^  sola  tam.-n  perfecta  persuasio  est  frma  IsT  con- 
sumr.i.itaf,des.  Proinde  debebat  fides  dcf.niri,  nm  solum  in  gcncre  ^5* 
gradibus  summis  ;  sed  etiam  varii  ejus  gradus  ^  men«i>ra  r/;'-/cr  -r;, 
ut  ct  qui  infnni  sunt  vere  et  rccte  de  sua  statu  possir.t  c^-reri.  Ircn.  c 
vii.  Sej  also  SrA^iE.  Opera,  Vol.  Vn.  p*  1^3. 


aoo  SPIRIT     OF     FAITH. 

•ar>y  body  else.  Full  assurance  is  radically  in  that  grain,  and 
in  due  time  may  grow  out  of  it  to  the  size  or  a  tree  ;  but  it 
cannot  properly  he  called  a  tree,  till  it  be  grown  up  to  one. 
Their  nature  is  one  >  but  the  di'fcrence  consists  in  the  degree. 
True  faith  may  exist  in  the  soul  with ')ut  the  height  of  full  as- 
surance, and  tremblingly  may  catch  hold  of  the  promises,  as 
a  little  child  doth  its  nurse's  ha.id.  The  defect  is  not  in  the 
principle  itself,  because  it  is  true  and  spiritual  life  ;  but  in 
the  exercise  of  that  principle  of  life  in  our  nature,  which  is 
full  of  weakness  and  frailty,  not  to  say  hostility  against  its 
very  being  in  us. J  IF  all  this  were  not  true  ;  it  would  have 
been  idle  in  the  disciples  to  pray  for  the  increase  of  faith  ^  or 
iweless  for  us,  that  our  faith  may  be  strengthened.  Nor  c?.n 
we  otherwise  understand,  what  the  ipostle  meant  by  the  iveak 
in  Jaitb.,  or  those  distinctions  oi  babes  ^  young  men^^  and  fathers 
in  Cbrist. 

In  the  strongest  believers  there  may  be  doubts  and  fears  ; 
because  they  have  mortal  and  sinful  bodies  :  But  they  do  not 
conquer  and  prevail.  In  i.he  weak-  st  believers,  for  the  same 
reason,  there  are  also  the  same  doubts  and  fears  ;  but  with- 
,out  the  like  strength  of  faith  to  repel  them.  God  carries 
xhese  lambs  in  bis  bosom^  and  therefore  their  faith  doth  not 
fail. 

It  seems  a  paradox  to  say,  that  he  never  believed,  who  ne- 
ver doubted:  But  it  is  as  real  a  truth  as  it  is  to  say,  that  / 
had  not  kno'ujn  sin^  but  by  the  laW'  Sin  and  the  law  are  not 
more  opposites,  than  faith  and  unbelief :  Yet  unbeliei  had  ne- 
ver been  known,  but  for  the  grace  of  faith. 

These  disti-r.aions  are  necessary  to  be  observed, on  the  one 
hand,  against  those  who  (with  the  papists)  alHrm  that  there 
is  no  certitude  m  faith,  and,  on  the  other,  in  behalf  of"  those 
who  are  oppressed,  because  their  faith  is  not  arisen  to  the 
full  assurance  of  certitude. 

This  /":,;//  assurance  is,  however,  to  be  desired  and  pursued, 
as  tlie  happy  privilege  of  every  believer  :  Though  (as  it  hath 
been  said)  it  can  only  be  employed  and  exercised  by  those  who 
arc  strong.  These  only  can  firmly  say  with  St.  Panl^  I  am 
PERsUADLD,  that  ncitbtr  dcath^  nor  iifc^  ^c.  shall  be  able  to  se- 

\  The  graces  of  the  Spirit,  as  they  come  from  the  hand  of  God 
that  infuses  thern,  are  nothing  but  purtness  ;  but  being  put  into  a 
heart  where  sin  dwells  which,  till  the  body  be  dissolved  and  taken 
to  pieces,  cannot  be  fully  purged  out)  there  they  are  mixed  with 
Cur. '-apt -on  and  droi\' :  And  particularly  faith  is  mixed  with  unbe- 
lief, and  love  of  eartldv  triin:^s,  and  dependence  upon  the  creature  ; 
if  >»()t  more  than  Go'i,  yet  lOc^ether  with  Inm  ;  and  for  this  the  fur- 
nace is  needful,  that  ».he  sou!  may  be  purified  from  this  dross,  and 
Tnai^  Tnov-  .s'.ibiime  and  spiritual  in  believing."  Lf.ighton,  Com^ 
on  St.  Peter.  Ch.  i,  v.  7, 


SPIRIT     OF     FAIT  H.  201 

•parate  us  from  the  ioiu  oj  Goc/^  lubicL  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our 
Lord:  But  the  othcis  sh<ultl  aspire  to  say  ii;  and  those,  wlio 
do  not  aspire,  may  veiy  well  duuht  oi  one  thiiii^-,  <ii:bctbcr  ivcy 
be  in  tbc  faith  or  not. 

And -here  again,  to  the  high  commendation  of  faith,  it  may 
be  said,  with  the  ap')Slle,  that  it  is  the  substance  of  things 
hoped for^  because  it  substantiates,  what  is  not  yet  enjoyed  ; 
and  the  evidence  of  things  noL  seen^  because  its  own  very  be- 
ing in  the  soul  is  a  demoi  stiation  froui  God,  that,  wiiat  he 
hath  piondsed  he  will  assured!)  perform. f  Thus,  te  that  be- 
lieveth  on  the  Son  of  God^  hath  the  twiiness  inbimscif  i  John 
V.  10.  And  the  author  of  that  witness  confirms  the  testiino- 
ny  :  The  Spirit  itselj  beareth  'n^iitiess  ivilb  our  spirit^  thai  lu^r 
are  the  children  oj  God^  Rom.  viii.   lO. 

Thus  much  for  the  Nature  L.ncI  Foundation  of  Faith  : 
Let  us  now  crnsider  its   Efficient  Cause. 

All  natural  n:eii  1  hink,  that  they  tljeuiselvts  can  produce 
ande  xercise  faith,  whenever  they  please  :  Aiui  they  think  so, 
because  they  are  natural  men,  not  having  ihc  e:i|:erieiic.  of 
this  faith,  and  therefore  not  knoiving  the  Scriptures  nor  the 
po'wer  of  God. 

Faith,  it  is  true,  is  an  a6l  in  and  ivith  the  mind,  but  no  more 
an  a6t  of  ihc  mind,  or  front  and  by  itsif  than  the  gushing  of 
.the  waters  from  the  rock  was  a6lualiy  wrcught  by  the  little 
stroke  of  Moses'' s  rod,  or  the  resurrection  of  Lazarus  from  the 
grave  was  a  mere  a6t  of  his  own.  If  faith  were  an  acl  sim- 
ply of  the  mind,  or  the  mere  produ6lion  of  its  natural  powers  ; 
then,  perhaps,  men  might  believe,  as  they  please,  and  vjhen 
they  please.  But  then  we  must  presently  rejecv  the  ground 
of  faith,  the  Bible^  which  most  positively  contradicls  this  o- 
pinion  ;  and,  consequentlv,  this  sort  of  faith,  having  nc 
foundation,  must  sink  into  confusion  or  nothing.  We  must 
give  uj)  the  notion  of  the  self-producing  cause  of  faith,  if  we 
follow  th.;  Scripture,  which  says,  ilrsa  faith  is  the  gift  of  God,- 
that,  to  Christians,  /;  is  given  to  believe  ;  and  that  no  nun  c.nt 
come  unto  Chrisr  [i.  e.  believe  on  him  to  salvation]  except  tbc 
Father  dravi  him.  Many  other  passages  occur  to  the  same 
purport. 

When  God  comnumds  to  believe,  he  bestovvS />5-u'tv  to  obey 
that  command;  for,  if  faith  be  his  gift.,  and  no  inherent  prin- 
ciple (which  it  could  not  be  if  a  gift  of  grace.J   men  cannot 

t  It  is  a  truth,  though  uttered  by  schoolman,  i'V:/Vm  esse  suktan- 
tiam  rerum  sptrendcirun  ;  ciiia  scidcet priiua  inchoatio  rerum  sfierendj- 
rum  in  nobis  est  per  assensum  fdei,  qua  virtute  coniinct  omnes  res  spc- 
rendas,  Aq^uin.  Sec.  sec.  qiiacst.  iv.  artr  1  —  Certum  est  cnim  fd.niy 
qua  sst  cop  nit  io  cutedam  jitstitia  et  virtutis  Dci^  esse  rcd'.am  immortalt- 
tatis,  quia  exjide  irJtium  est,  iP'  ori^ 0  salutis  ^  beaiitiidinis  nostra.  Es- 
Tius  in  lib.  Sap.  c.  15. 


202  S  P  I  R  I  T     o  F     F  A  I  T  H. 

obey  wr.hciit  it.  So  then,  he  enjoiLs  the  ad^ion  of  a  power 
onlv  where  llie  power  is  ^iven,  ia  like  manner,  Christ  said 
to  '^r...  apostle  Si.  Jylutii.e'u.,  Follow  ;;;.'  ;  Bui  if,  ai  the  same 
time,  he  hud  not  granted  hi;n  the  power  of  faith,  the  apostle 
C'uid  not  have  yieUied  trie  .obedience  or  f<iith  at  one  single 
word,  Tix'  call  of  God  is  not  in  vain  ;  y.of  dotb  his  'word  re- 
turn voJcIi  or  without  his  accoirsplishment. 

Tliis  i's  to  be  unde'^stood  ov  Go<*.'s  own  particular  call  to 
the  souU  There  is  a  general  call  niade  to  the  outward  ears 
of  rricn  by  his  ministeis,  aad  to  their  outward  eyes  by  the 
word  itself;  but  this  call  is  ejfcctual^  oidv  where  seconded 
by  the  ip.imediaLe  grace  of  God  ;  and  then,  to  all  intents  and 
purpcses,  it  becomes  -^^  particular  call  to  every  obje6l  of  its 
svicccss.  The  call  of  ministers  is  and  must  be  general ;  they 
are  to  call  all  naiioiis^  and  consequently  the  rich  and  mighty 
in  them:  But  these  are  rarely  the  objecls  of  God's  particu- 
lar call ;  for  we  read,  that  not  many  luise  men  cfter  the  Jiesh 
na:  many  mighty^  not  many  nobie^  are  called.  Without  this 
obvious^  distin^iion,  it  is  impossible  to  reconcile  or  under- 
stand many  important  texts  upon  this  subjeiSl. 

'ilie  im.proper  consideration  of  this  matter,  and  the  not  at- 
tending^, to  these  necessary  distinctions,  seem  to  have  occa- 
sioiicd  the  presumptuous  error  of  the  Armir.ianSy  Antinomians^ 
Socinians^  Pelagians,,  Papists^  &c.  who  generally  lay  it  for  a 
foundation,  *'  either  that  faith  exists  in  the  mind,  of  man,  as 
one  of  its  natural  powers,  or  that  it  can  be  induced  and  exercis- 
ed by  him  at  his  will."  Hence,  they  all  speak  very  slightly 
and  snpeiTicially  of  faith  :  And  indeed,  according  to  their  no- 
tion, it  is  so  common  an  affair,  that  it  really  d'cserves  no  more 
notice  tlinn  they  take  of  it.  Tiit-y  evidently  understand  wo 
•mere  in  the  tcimjhitb,,  than  what  can  really  be  meant  in  the 
acl  of  assent  to  a  history. 

Tlie  Arminians  indeed  do  say,  that  it  is  the  gift  of  God  \\ 
bat  they  also  say,  that  it  wholly  depends  upon  us,  wheti'.er 
we  will  receive  it,  or  act  it  when  received.     In  this  case,  tii^y 

t  Dnts statuii  lUls dai-cf.dcm  <^ p'rnilentiam per  e^ratiam  sufficienttm: 
lioc  est  ltd  dare  ut  iili  possint  accipsre,  per  vires  ipsis  a  Deo  datUs^  m- 
ccosaricsi^  ::::ffic':  ntcs  ad  accipiendum*  Armin.  opera,  p.  666.  But 
he  means,  that  this  suficicnt  ^race  is  common  to  every  man  and  resi- 
dent in  all  :  so  tliat  it  amounts  to  nothing  more  than  natural 
powers,,  which,  lobe  sure  are  th.e  j^ift  of(iod,  but  not  a  special  p;tft 
in  the  redemption  of  Christ.  The  great  Du  Moulin  hath  well  ob. 
r.evvcd  upon  the  concession  of  the  Arminians^  "  that  faith  is  the 
;;ift  of  God,"  hxc  verba  nan  accipiuvt  to  scr.stijcucn  prte  se/cnmt,  JLo- 
vum  mens  est  [ut  ipsl  fatentur)  Dcum  dare  omnibus  hominibus  vires 
'■".vdcndi  :  At  non  dare  to  credere,  sive,  a6\uni  ipsum  credenoi, 
ontra  apostolum,  qui  dic^^t,  Deum  dare  ipsum  credere.  /Vi//.  i.  29. 
iLl  Deu!U  dare  v^lie  Sc  perficere.  <  j/,.  ii.  13.     Qux  voces  dcsignant 


SPIRIT     or     r  A  I  T  H.  203 

Clin  only  mean,  that  faith  is  a  common  giift  put  into  the  power 
of  all  men  ;  and,  therefore,  not  a  particular  grace  specially 
conferred.  This  is  but  sayin^^,  in  other  words,  liut  ic  is  at 
tbcir  option^  whether  faith  shall  be  a  ^//>  or  not.  For,  if 
they  chiise  lo  liave  it;  then  it  exists  in  ihcin  only  as  they 
chuse,  and  so  virtually  they  give  to  themselves  God's  oitu, 
which  is  absurd:  But,  if  tiiey  chuse  to  reject  it ;  then  it  be- 
comes no  gift  at  all,  or  it  is  wholly  an.'ilhiiated  >vith  respei^ 
lo  them.  Either  way,  itis  a  rtish  usurpation  of  God's  wisdom 
anti  power  to  pretend  to  effc:<i;luate  c^r  frustrate  llie  first  ;^rc;it 
objecl  of  both  in  the  world,  and  that  too  by  the  pur.y  eiforts 
of  human  strength  or  pleasure.  By  a  bold  jrerverslon,  :t  is  say- 
ing; (jod'Vjorks^bi'A  man  can  let.  Ii  is  throwing  the  b.  autiTul  ar- 
rangement of  grace  and  providence  into  confusion,  iulrrxhi- 
cing  chance  into  the  world  instead  of  foresight,  and  suhjevjling 
the  Creator  of  all  things  to  one  of  the  worst  and  niost  help- 
less of  his  creatures. 

The  very  notion  of  a  o-///  implies,  that  it  is  a  matter  vvliic'n 
the  receiver  bad  not  before^  and,  conseijuentiy.  that  it  was,  at 
one  time,  out  of  himself ^  and,  at  another^  brought  to  hiviuelf 
'Tis  strange  to  say,  that  God  confers  a  gift  upon  a  man, 
which  lie  either  could  have  elsewhere,  or  airea^iy  pcsc^ses 
within  him.  Upon  such  a  plan,  grace  and  nature  wou;  .  \jZ 
one  and  the  same. 

But,  if  faith  be  the  proper  gift  of  God,  and,  as  sucii,  a  gra- 
cious gift  not  inherent  in  humaii  nature  ;  msn  can  derive  ic 
only  and  entirely  from  hiiU.  And,  if  it  be  a  principle  to  be 
acled  from,  in,  and  with  his  mind,  respecting  spiritual  obje'SIs  ; 
then  his  mind,  could  never  have  a-led  for  ih-jse  obje<5\s, 
'Vdithout  tJiis  principle.  Otherwise,  tills  now  faculty  ofgiMce 
would  be  given  idly  or  iinKCcessarily  ;  which  it  must  be  blas- 
phemous to  afiirm  concerning  its  giver.  The  life  (the  spiri..ual 
and  a6live  principle)  1  live  in  the  flesh  's  lid  tlio  apostle,)  that 
by  v/hich  I  move  and  exercise  in  the  bodv, towards  the  things 
which  are  above  the  body,  I  live  by  the  Jail  b  of  the  Son  of  Cod* 

It  appears,  therefore,  that  as  a  mian  can  only  possess  ".".i-'ch 
by  the  ^^7'/>  of  God  ;  so  he  can  o,Tiy  act  this  faitii,  when  pos- 
sessed, by  the  poller  of  God.  Hence,  Christ  says,  IVitbout  rtj 
yc  can  do  nQthi,if  ;  and  the  apostle,  /;  is  oJc/,  that  -^ir/,e:h^ 
energizeth,  ijiyou^  both  to  :: ill  and  to  do. 

Here,  then,  we  may  conclude  ;  that  the  sole  3;Fricin^:T 
CAUSE  of  faith  is  GoD  ;  and  that  the  r.XEr.cisi:  of  this  faiths 
<ivith  all  cPPORTi'KVCi  Ez  found  for  that  exercise,  is  induced  and 
occasioned  only  by  the  pO'wer  of  God. 

ipsum  volendi  Sc  credendi  a6lam.  Sane  posse  credere,  non  est  fides: 
Ergo,  si  Deus  d?.t  taritum  vires  credendi,  non  d;it,  jider.-:.  Quoniodo 
autemDcus  dat  virc:;  credendi,  in  Christuni-,  (|i!ibu.s  C-  :  •':  ■  ^'^-.x 
innctuit,  dici  non  potest.     IvIolix.  Tliss.  p.  1  JO. 


204  S  ?  I  R  I  T     o  r     F  A  I  T  H. 

VVhat  can  detlare  tins  coiicluslon  more  positively,  than  the 
fohow  no  words  ?  i'Fe  are  bis  [God's]  workmanship,  r/vtf^c'a 
m  Corisc  Jcsurufjto  good  works ^  ^^hicb  God  batb  before  or- 
TfAVA-E'D^tbat  'iue  sbotild  imlk  in  tbcm.  Eph.  ii.  lo.  Believers 
are  ;ieie  represanted,  as  a  spiritual  creation  in  Christ,  and  not 
less  unable  to  eflect  this  creation  in  grace,  than  thev  were  to 
create  or  beget  theinseives  in  iiature.  Nor  can  thoy  oDtain 
the  end  of  this  creation  oy  ibemscives  ;  but  God  is  stated  as 
wholly  j)roviding  and  preordaining  that  end. 

He  &o  doeth  all  in  tbcm  and  aliybr  tbem,  with  respe6l  to  the 
life  and  aits  of  grace,  that  they  are  even  his  einire  work- 
r,ia7iship  :  They  are  as  much  so,  at  least,  as  the  vessel  of  clay 
can  be  the  nerfe6i  formation  of  the  potter's  hand.  In  becom- 
ing the  vicrnbtr's  of  Cbrist^  they  can  do  nothing  without  their 
bcid.^  lie  is  solely  7/je  autbor  and  tbefinisber  of  tbtir  faith. 
i  AiTK,  then  ;is^i?(;  ^7'/>  (3^^  God.  This  proposition  cannot 
be  denied,  bnt  by  a  denial  of  the  Scriptures  themselves. — But 
faith  is  also  tbe  gift  of  the  SPiliiT,  i  Cor.  xii.  9.  and  there- 
fore called  tbe  fruit  of  tbe  SPIRIT,  Gal.  v.  2..— Consequent- 
ly, tbe  SPIRIT  is,  truly  and  properly,  God. — The  conclusion 
IS  equally  infallible  with  the  premises^  and  can  only  be  reiel- 
led  Avith  tbcm. 

This  irrefragable  argument  evinces  the  propriety  of  the 
namt^  which  entitles  this  Essay.  The  Holy  Ghost  may  well 
be  called  The  SPIRIT  of  FAItH  ;  because,  as  the  great  a- 
gent  from  the  Godhead,  he  creates  this  divine  principle  of 
Jaiib  in  the  soul,  which  is  in  fa6\  spiritual  life  by  another  name; 
and  ever  after  yields  every  support  to  this  principle,  till  it 
arriv.rs  to  its  end  in  the  eternal  fruition  of  God. 

Upon  tiiis  gf-ound,  we  cannot  wonder  at  the  constant  re- 
ference, made  in  the  Scriptures,  to  the  presence,  power,  love, 
and  consolation,  of  God  the  Holy  Ghost.  Believers  are  pri- 
vileged, upon  the  Vv^arrant  of  his  own  word,  to  look  to  him 
tiirough  Chiisi,  as  the  energy  of  their  spiritual  life,  the  bliss- 
ful companion  of  their  souls,  and  the  kind  preparer  of  their 
hearts  and  of  their  v.ass  to  the  mansions  above. 

Now,  their  life,  as  v/ell  as  their  creation,  is  altogether  wt'w. 
If  they  obey  ihe  voice  o'  God  (and  him  they  must  obey,  or 
tl'Cy  could  not  be  believers,)  their  obedience  being  excited 
and  invigorated  by  tl/is  Spirit  of  Faith,  it  iscalled/^<r 
obedievxc  of  fuitb.     Without  him,  they  perceive,  they  have 

*  Th.c  elder  Spavueim  £:^cellcntlj  sajs  ;  Qui  cnim  per  veram  fidem 
Christum  apprcheiiciit  ti  suuni  facit,  ille  Ciiristo  inseritur  k  fit 
ii*(  mbrum  iiiius,  adcoi]Ue  ut  tale  non  tantum  jus  habet  ad  satisfac- 
ti^ncin  Sc  merita  sui  capitis,  scd  et  spiritu  illius  magis  niat^isque 
renovatiir  et  j?;ubernatur,  qiium  absurdum  sit  men>.brum  alio  prie- 
teiquam  capitis  sui  spiritu  &c  niiiuxu  regi  £c  moveri.  Dub.  Evang. . 
Vol.  ii.  p.  754. 


S  P  I  R  I  T     OF     F  A  I  T  H.  ao,- 

neither  will  nor  power,  and  much  less  the  faitii,  to  obey.  Jt 
is  the  work  of  God  the  Spirit,  that  tbey  believe  in  Christy  or 
understand  'Any  thing  indeed  of  the  curse  of  sin  or  their  (Avn 
sinfulness,  as  the  preparation  to  this  belief.  It  is  by  Him, 
that  they  knov)^  and,  knowing,  are  constrained  to  lovc^\\\s  ho- 
ly word,  'i  is  truly  said,  that  ''  the  assent  of  the  mind  to 
heavenly  things,  because/  revealed  by  supreme  Truth  itself, 
doth  not  so  much  arise  from  tlic  natural  conclusions  of  rea- 
son, as  from  the  humble  subjection  of  the  soul,  tamed  into  o- 
bedience,  under  the  word  of  God."'!-  All  this  is  eftotted  by 
the  internal  operation  of  this  almighty  agent.  In  short  ;  It 
is  the  same  God^  ^jcbo  'uoorketh  all  in  nil ;  or,  as  the  apostle  re- 
ciprocates almost  immediately  the  same  phrase,  ^////6^icf'U'9;i- 
ctb  that  one  andtbt  self-same  Spir  it,  dividing^  or  distributing 
to  every  man  severally  as  He  will*   i   Cor.  xii.  6,   1 1. 

Hence  it  further  appears,  that  the  obedience  offaitb  cannot 
possibly  be  the  condition  of  obtaining  it;  because,  without 
faith,  men  cannot  properly  obey  at  all.  The  fruit  of  the  tree 
did  not  plant  the  tree,  nor  give  it  life.  But  the  fruit  is  produ- 
ced, because  the  tree  is  already  planted  and  lives.  The  fact  is 
not  more  real  in  nature,  than  this  principle  is  true  in  grace. 

It  also  appears,  that  tbis  obedience  cannot  be  our  justify- 
ing rigbteousness  with  God  ;  not  only  because  it  proceeds 
with  some  mixture  of  corruption  by  passing  through  us,  but 
because  faith  itself,  which  is  the  ground  or  instrument  of  that 
obedience,  is  enjoined  to  embrace  the  righteousness  of  ano- 
ther^ called  the  rigbteousness  or  obedience  o/^ONE,  by  ".vbom 
many  shall  be   made   righteous,  Rom.  v.  19. 

All  opinions,  therefore,  which  tend  to  dignify  the  natural 
powers  of  man  in  spiritual  things,  or  to  nullifv  the  necessity 
and  operation  of  divine  grace  in  all  things,  are  impious  viola- 
tions of  the  law  offaitb^  and  consequently  arc  not  less  odious 
to  God  than  injurious  to  man. 

As  faith  rests  upon  truth,  its  proper  basis  ;  it  must  continue 
there  by  this  laiv  offaitb.  It  has  no  motion  beyond  it';  but 
rises  upwards  upon  it,  as  a  house  necessarily  rises  in  its 
whole  frame  from  the  foundation.  The  same  terms,  for  the 
signification  of  this  do(5lrine,  are  employed  in  Scripture.  Be- 
liever? are  edified^  or  built  up^  in  their  most  holy  Jaitb:  And 
they  are  built  according  to  rule  ;  and  this  rule  is  the  same 
law  of  faith  ^  which  arranges  them  as  individuals,  and  collec- 
tively as  the  whole  temple    of  God. 

Believers,  therefore,  are  not  to  wander  into  the  regions  of 
nthusiasm,  but    to   stand  fast   with   respect   to  the  word  as 


their  ground,  and  to  grow  upwards  in  the  Lord  by  his  divine 
power,  which  acls  according  to  the  word.     The  Book  of  God 
Vol.  II.  C  c 

t  Wits.    Misc.  Vol.  II.  p.  7 47, 


ao6  S  P  I  R  I  T     o  F     FAITH. 

is  the  tvritlen  law  of  faith,  that  document  or  statute  which 
laith  must  recur  to  at  all  times,  and  which,  by  the  power  of 
ib^  Spirit  of  fc.'ith  who  gave  that  word,  is  the  lively  oracle  of 
truth  for  this  purpose.  But,  as  some  men  are  slow  to  hear, 
ss  otheis  have  diifeient  states  and  capacities  in  spiritual 
things,  and  as  none  are  witliout  need  of  assistance  ;  God  hath 
enjoined  the  constant  publication  of  this  word,  enabled  some 
to  explain  it  to  others,  and  established  a  unity  of  occasion,  as 
well  as  of  faith,  among  ail  his  people^  He  makes  use  of  sen- 
sible instruments  to  convey  spiritual  blessings  :  And  his  word 
becomes  livi:!g  and  lively  in  their  mouths  by  his  Spirit.  Thus, 
tiie  law  of  faith,  by  being, extended  to  dead  and  enslaved  sin- 
ners, becomes  the  ia%\)  of  liberty  for  their  deliverance,  and  then 
alio  tiie  iinv  of  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus  For  their  life 
eternal. 

From  hence  we  see  the  necessity^  design^  and  use  of  an  e- 
vangelic  ministry,  the  members  of  which  are  to  make  on- 
stunt  proclamations  according  to  tbt  lami  of  faith  ^  and  to  pre- 
sent it,  at  all  times,  to  the  eyes  and  ears  of  men.  Faith  com- 
etb  Ly  hearing  '  But  bow  shall  they  bear^  without  a  preacher  "? 
And  how  shall  they  preachy  except  they  b:  sent  f.  'I'heir  busi- 
ness is  to  preach  :  And  it  is  the  office  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
convert,  which  He  usually  doth  by  their  preaching.  Those 
are  to  be  mistrusted,  therefore,  or,  rather,  th«y  ought  to  mis- 
trust themselves,  who  either  despise  the  faithful  ministers  of 
Christ,  or  neglecl  their  ministrations.  These  are  ordained 
by  God,  as  means  of  his  grace  :  And  those  men  presume  to  bei 
wiser  ihan  God,  who  undervalue  Ills  ordinations. 

When,  by  ail  these  aids,  the  Spirit  of  faith  hath  imparted 
his  grace  of  faith  to  the  soul,  he  doth  not  suffer  it  to  remaii> 
there  torpid  and  inactive  ;^  but  he  constantly  breathes  in  it, 
and  woi  ks  upon  it,  that  by  exercise  it  may  be  strengthened^ 
and  by  his  nourishment  it  may  grow.  So  far  from  permitting 
their  own  faculties  to  lie  rusty  (as  it  were)  and  useless  ;  often 
their  whole  body^  soul^  and  spirit^  are  engaged  by  him  in  ope- 
ration, aft'eclion,  and  understanding:  Or,  if  not  so  engaged, 
then  they  appear  lifeless  and  listless,  are  employed  to  no  va- 

*  The  admired  Belgic  Confession  of  Faith  professes,  Credimua 
veram  banc  iidcm  perauditum  verbi  Dei  Sc  Sprititus  San6\i  opera- 
tioneni  unicuique  nostrum  inditam  nos  regenerare,  atque  veluti  no- 
vos  homines  efiicere,  ut  quos  ad  novam  vitam  viveiulam  excitet,  et 
a  peccati  servitute  liberas  reddat.  Tantum  abest  igitur  ut  fides  hscc 
iuatificans  homines  a  recla  sancla(jue  vivendi  ratione  avocet,  aut 
tepidioreseHiciat,  ut  contra  absque  ilia  nemo  unquam  quicquam  bo- 
1.1  propter  Deum  (sed  omnia  vel  propter  seipsum,  vel  ob  metuni 
iwsts:  comlemnationis)  agere  atque  operari  possit.  Fieri  itaque  non 
potest,  ut  hxc  fides  s:.nc\a  in  homine  otiosa  sil.  Syntap^ma  Con- 
fcss.  Fid.  p.  \7A, 


SPIRIT     OF     ¥  A  I  T  H.  207 

liable  end,  and  usually  feel  all  this,  sooner  or  later,  vvifh  bit- 
ter experience.  And  yet,  to  shew  hiniselfin  thcni,  at  times, 
a^ove  these  faculties,  that  his  operations  ina\  not  be  nustaken 
tor  ibcir  o^u)n  ;  he  makctb  tnicrccssio?!  for  tbcni  with  grcin- 
tf7gs^  ivbu-b  cannot  bQ  uttered.  Nature  feels  his  power',  with- 
out the  capacity  to  express  it. 

By  these  exeicises,  the  soul  is  prcnarcd  and  matured  for 
that  glorious  progression  of  faith,  which  is  called  th:*  plcro- 
pbory^  ox  full  assurance^  of  it  ;  and  thus  attains  the  substanch 
and  substantiation  of  the  things  hoped  for ^  liberty  of  speech 
aiKi  scccss  unto  God,  confidence^  trlumpb^  and  hope  to  the  end. 
The  building  is  now  raised  above  the  ground,  and  tends  up- 
wards to  the  skies.  It  waits  only  for  the  topstone  of  grace  to 
btj  conipieated  for  glory. 

If  we  now  cciiect  the  whole  of  what  hath  been  considered, 
it  seems  f-airly  reducible  to  this  plain  and  scrijitural  conclu- 
sion :  That  iaith  is  a  principle  of  grace  and  divine  life  in  the 
soul  ;  that  it  is  the  free  r/«// unmerited  gift  oj  Jehovah,  in 
Christ^  and  by  the  Spirit  ;  that  it  enables  the  soul  to  believe 
*uobatciH-r  God  bath  said  ^w^/done,  generally^  as  an  invirici/Je 
declaration  or  demonstration  of  his  eternal  irutb  ;  that  it  a'p- 
i^RoFRiATES^  particularly^  according  to  its  strength^  all  the 
promises  atid  mercies  of  God  ;  that  it  is  the  principle  by  ■■which 
the  Spirit  acts  to  produce  love,  joy,  peace^  and  all  his  other 
graces  in  the  soul;  And,  lastly,  that  the  Spirit,  thus  the  au- 
thor and  agent  of  all  this  supernatural  good,  proves  himself  to 
he  true  a-nd  very  GOD^  ^nd  the  almighty  JLHOVAH,  who 
ONLY  doech  wondrous  things^ 

IN  this  view,  (which,  for  its  importance,  we  have  the  more 
largely  considered)  faith  appears  to  be  a  mighty  grace,  build- 
ing and  built  upon  a  strong  foundation.  Having  an  cmni- 
pjotent  cause,  it  is  carried  on  also  with  omnipotence  ;  aud  fix- 
ins  itself  upon  the  faithfulness,  wisdom,  love,  and  power  of 
God,  cannot  possibly  be  destroyed.  It  is  a  covenanted  grace, 
and  therefore  indefeclible  ;  unless  it  can  be  supposed,  that 
the  covenant  of  God  can  be  broken,  or  the  promises  of  it  can 
fail.  Prom  hence  it  is  we  perceive,  what  sure  ground  faith 
stands  upon,  what  sure  mercies  it  expedls,  what  a  blessed  emi 
it  may  daily  contemplate  !  They,  who  treat  of  faith  as  a  mere 
vapor  of  the  brain,  or  an  exertion  of  natural  strength,  do  not 
more  dishonor  God,  than  take  away  every  ray  of  comlort 
from  the  souls  of  men. 

The  end  of  faith  is  a  united  objea,  and  as  happy  as  it  is 
sublime.  Faith  aims  at  nothing  less  than  conneding  the  glo- 
ry of  God  with  the  final  salvation  of  the  soul.  Cinist  for  his 
j.eople,  hath  joined  these  two  together  ,  and  these  neither 
jueu  nor  devils,  from  his  people,  sliall  be  able  to  put  asundt.r. 


2o8  S  P  I  R  I  T     o  F     F  A  I  T  H. 

Doth  not  this  raise  a  cry  in  some  solicitous  heart ;  Lord  / 
believe  ;  0  help  miie  unbelief! — 'Tis  a  good  cry,  and  the  cry 
of  faith.  No  unconvinced  sinner  ever  poured  it  forth,  in  deed 
and  in  truth:  No  convinced  sinner  ever  uttered  it,  without 
a  gracious  aid.  Lord,  j-^^^  ,•  or  I  perish  I  was  a  word  of 
faith,  though  extorted  by  unbelief.  Peter  feared,  and  there- 
fore he  doubled  :  He  cried  to  Jesus,  because  he  believed.  If 
he  had  not  believed,  he  would  liave  perished  ;  and  if  he  had 
not  reared  to  perish,  he  would  have  had  no  unbelief.  He  had 
but  little  faith,  yet  enough  in  Christ  to  keep  him  from  sinking. 
He  felt  himself  just  upon  sii\king  ;  and  his  little  faith  cried 
oat  for  more  help,  which  Christ  never  denied  to  any,  \<^ho 
asked  it  of  him. 

What  a  gentle,  though  just,  reproach  !  0  thou  of  little 
faith  ;  'wherefore  didst  thou  doubt  ? 

L:nitate  Peter^  thou  troubled,  because  doubting,  believer  ; 
cry,  as  he  cried  ;  and  the  stormy  sea  of  trial,  and  the  furious 
waves  of  the  world,  shall  never  destroy  thee.  Thou  art 
walking  upon  this  sea  every  day  of  thy  life  :  And  thou  wilt 
never  enter  into  the  ship,  till  thou  enter  into  heaven.  Faith 
and  patience,  like  oil  upon  the  billows,  shall  smooth  much  of 
the  boisterous  turmoil  without  thee,  and  often  quiet  thy  spi- 
rit wiihin  tiiee  through  all  thy  course  to  glory. 

When    carnal  faith   (if  it   deserve   the   name)  encounters 
these  trials,   it  presently  succumbs,  and  shevv's  its  base  origi- 
nal.    It   began  with  the  flesh  ;  and  it  will  end  there.     "  If 
the    faith,    that   thou   hast,    (said    the    gracious   archbishop 
LeightonJ  grew  out  of  thy  natural  heart  of  itself  ;  be  assured 
it  is  but  a  weed.     The    righ*:  plant    of  faith   is  always  set  by 
God's  own  hand  ;   and  it  is  watered   and  preserved    by   him, 
because  exposed  to  many  hazards  :   He  watches  it  night  and 
day.   Isa.  xxvii.  3*     I  the   Lord  do  keep  it;  I  hvHI water  it 
every  moment  ;  lest  any  hurt  it^  I  will  keep  it  night  and  day,'''* 
O  what  comfort  m.ust  this  afford  to  the  tossed  and  afflidied 
soul  !   What  nourisliment  to  its  faith  1   What  encouragement 
to   its   hopes  ! — Jf  God  be  for   us^  who  can  be  against  us  f — - 
Who  shall  separate  us  from  the  love  of  Christ  ? — Shall   tribula- 
tion?  Through    much    tribulation^  'dnd  in  despite  of  tribula- 
tion, we  shall  enter  into  the   kingdom. — Shall  distress  P   We 
may  be  troubled  on  every  side^  but  not  distressed ;  perplexed,, 
but  not  in  despair. — Shall  persecution  P  Men  have  no  power, 
but  of   God;    and  God  will  give  them  none  to  drive  us  from 
Christ:   So  tliat,  if  we  are  persecuted^  we  are  not  forsaken. — 
^htiW  famine  ;  shall  nakedness;  ^\\\\\\  peril,,   oy  sword  P  Nay, 
says  the  apostle,  so  far  from  it,  thnt,  in  all  these  things  we  are^ 
not  only  mere  conquerers,  but  more  than  conquerors^  through 
him  that   loved  us,     R.om.  viii.  31 — 37.     This   is  the  victory^ 
which  over  come  th  the  ^vorldy  even  oi:r  Faith.    1  John  v.  4. — - 


SPIRIT     OF     1'   A  I  T  II.  .09 

Why  then  dost  thou  not  add  with  the  apostle,  as  thou  art 
privileged  to  add;  /  am  prrsu  adkd,  ibai  neither  dcdtb^  nor 
lifc^  nor  angels^  nor  principmiiivs.,  nor  poivcrs^  nor  tuir.ps pre- 
sent^ 710 r  things  to  canity  nor  bci^bt^  nor  dcptb^  nor  any  oTHCa 
CREATUitE,  sball  be  able  to  separate  me,  weak  and  worihicss 
as  I  Tuiw^  from  the  love  of  God  ivblcb  is  in  Christ  Jr.sus  my 
Lord. 

Pray,  then,  for  the  increase  of  faith.  If  faith  do  not  grow, 
there  can  be  no  growth  in  any  other  grace:  Because  this  is 
the  hand  which  receives  every  thing  st)iritual,  or  the  channel 
through  which  all  heavenly  blessings  flow.  Acc^uding  to 
faith,  so  is  the  measure  oF  all  adva.iccinent,  boili  in  true 
knowledge  and  real  experience.  A  man  cannot  have  ibc  full 
<issurance  of  understandings  which  consists  in  a  strong  and 
undoubted  perception  of  the  correspondence  and  relation  of 
all  heavenly  truths  to  God  and  to  each  other,  without  the 
full  assurance  of  faiib  ;  because  out  of  this  last,  and  n^t  out 
of  the  man's  own  head,  the  other  proceeds  ;  and  proceeds  by 
its  exercise  on  the  word,  and  through  the  illumination  ot  the 
Spirit  upon  it.  Then  from  the  conjun6\ion  of  faith  with  the 
.understanding,  and  in  the  advanceinent  of  both,  arises  that 
most  comfortable  grace,  which  the  apostle  styles,  tbe  full  as- 
surance of  hope  to  tbe  end.  This  sort  of  hope  is  not  like  that 
poor  vapid  principal  of  the  natural  heart,  which  hath  nothing 
certain  to  expe61,  and  longs  for  distant  objects  as  matters  of 
mere  chance  :  No  .  It  is  a  hope,  which  never  jyt?^  made  a  man 
ashamed^  and  which,  grounding  itselT  upon  what  faith  discov- 
ers in  the  word  concernino;  the  sureness  and  truth  of  salvation, 
looks  out  for  and  expe6ls  it,  as  a  great  estate  which  it  is  heir  to, 
which  it  shall  soon  enjoy,  and  which  nothing  can  take  away 
from  it.  Thus  the  raan'syiz/V/3  understanding  -^w^bopt ;  or,  in  o- 
ther  words,  faitli  as  a  divine  principle,  acjting  upon  the  other 
two,  and  enduing  them  with  its  own  full  j)ersuasion,  carries  all 
the  faculties  of  the  soul  andbody, (allowing  for  their  infirmities) 
into  the  sweetest  communion  with  Christy  and  through  him 
with  the  Spirit  and  the  Father.  The  whole  Trinity  is  glori- 
fied in  one  poor  creature  ;  and,  thus  glorified,  elevates  that 
creature  to  a  dignity,  which,  (according  to  the  apostle)  ao 
thought  can  conceive.  God  is  first  glorified  in  him  ;  for  man 
of  himself  can  give  no  glory  to  God  ;  and  then  man  reflects 
the  rays  of  this  heavenly  splendor,  confessing  that  they  all 
carne  from  Jebovab^  and  belong  only  to  hiwi.  Like  the  moon, 
the  redeemed  have  no  true  light  of  their  own  ;  but  derive  all 
that  deserves  the  name  from  their  self-existent  Sun  of  Rigb' 
teoiisness.  ^ 

The  trial  of  faith  is  appointed  for  this  end.  C,j.i  suffers, 
and  even  ordains,  that  things  evil  shall  prove  th..se  which 
are  good.      It  is  an  evil  thing,  which  attempts  to  debauch  or 


aio  S  P  I  R  I  T    OF    F  A  I  T  H. 

destroy  our  faith  :  And  Christ  calls  those  matters  by  the 
name  of  ojfcnces^  which  are  to  come,  and  7nust  come^  for  the 
trial  of  this  faith,  that  it  may  appear  to  be  wrought  in  God, 
Bat  this  is  a  precious  trial,  and  a  precious  end,  whatever  be 
the  means  which  God  permits  and  which  the  world  and  the 
devil  may  use,  upon  the  occasion.  These  are  indeed  evil,  and 
intend  nothiiig  bts-dc  evil  :  But  the  .Spirit  of  faith  shews  his 
own  sovereignty  in  all,  by  establishing  righteousness  itself 
from  the  very  opposition  of  iniquity,  and  by  constraining  the 
])ovvers  of  darkness  to  drive  his  people  into  higher  degrees  of 
light  and  glory. 

Upon   occasions   of  this   kind,  the  word  of  God  becomes 
doubly   precious    to    the  believer's   heart  and   understanding 
Hs  looks   upon  it  as   a  pledge  of  God's   faithfulness,  and   is 
happy  in  the  assurance,  that  heaven  and  earth  may  pass  aivayy 
but  that  not  one  tittle  of  this  word  shall  faih     He    consults 
the  word  for  information  and  instruction,  that  his  understand- 
ing  may  be  found  in  the  truth  ;  and  for  comfort  and  support, 
that  Ills  lope  may  increase  in  the  truth  :   And  he  prays  to  tlie 
spirit  ofjaith  over  his  faithful  word,  that  he  may  be  enabled 
to  a»5l  faith   upon  it,  and  that  a  full  persuasion  of  the  di\>-ine 
truth  may  fiow  into  his  soul,  in  order  that  he  nuy  go  through 
his  warfare,  like  a  faithful  priest  and  soldier  of  Christ  Jesus, 
Nothing  endears  the  Bidlc  more  to  a  Christian,  than  his  tri- 
als;  and  these  are  made  to  prove,  that  indeed  the  Bible  be- 
longs to  him,  and  that  he  belongs  to  God.      Flights  and  fan- 
cies iviay  amuse  those,  who  are   at  ease  ;  but,  in    the  great 
f'S^^  of  ojjlieiions^  one  plain  v^^ord  in  God's  book  is  worth  ten 
thousand  times  ten  thouisand  of  them  ail.   They  are  but  husks 
and  trash,  which  can  never  satisfy  the  soul,  who  hungers  and 
thirsts  for  the  living  God,     The  heart  in  trial  doth  not  want 
Kijords  only,  but  things  in  the  words  :   And  no  word  but  God's 
•tan  pretend  to  this,  w^hich  hath  more  matter  than   language-^ 
nay,  implies  infinitely  more  than  language  can  express.  'It  is 
thcirefore  called  the  'n^ordofGod^  not  only  because  it  proceed- 
^^frora  him^  but  because  \\q  fills  it  with  his  power,  and  uses 
it  as  the   proper   instrument  for   the  happiness  and  salvation 
of  his  people. 

Li  matters  of  faith  and  practice,  the  real  Christian  makes 
his  whole  reference  and  appeal  to  the  word,  and  saffers  no 
guide  to  direct  his  mind,  bnt  this.  A  truly  excellent  and  e- 
vangttlical  writer  hath  observed,  "  that  Scripture  is  the  on- 
ly rule  of  right  and  wrong,  and  that  conscience  has  no  direc- 
tion but  this  rule.  Neither  ethics,  nor  metaphysics,  no  fan- 
cied light  of  dark  nature,  no  lawless  law  of  rebel  nature,  no 
human  science,  whether  pretended  to  be  implanted,  or  by  the 
use  of  reason  to  be  acquired,  have  any  right  to  guide  the  con- 
science.    These  are  blind  leaders  oi  the  blind.  They  under- 


S  P  I  R  I  T     OF     F  A  I  T  H.  ^ii 

take,  what  they  are  not  only  unfit,  but  what  they  have  no 
warrant  for."^- — Nothing  needs  to  be  added  to  this,  but  the 
exhortation  of  the  apostle,  iipon  another  occasion  ;  that 
Christians  should  holdfast  the  faithful  icord  as  t/jey  have  hccn 
taught^  that  they  may  be  able  by  sound  doctrine  doth  to  vxL'jrt 
and  to  convince  the  gainsayers.      Tit.  i.  o. 

And  if  men  are  exhorted  to  holdfast  the  faithful  ix^ord ; 
shall  we  suppose,  that  the  God  of  all  faithfulness  will  not  hold 
fast  his  own  word?  Can  we  imagine,  that  He,  who  restores 
men  from  death  unto  life,  and  who  hath  prowiised  that  this 
life  is  and  shall  be  eternal,  will  disappoint  his  own  juirpose, 
and  break  his  own  promise,  by  suffering  that  life  to  be  tempo- 
rary only,  or  bv  permitting  any  wretched  creatures  to  con- 
troul  his  will  ?  What  can  be  a  more  horrid  or  blasphemous  po- 
sition than  this,  against  the  very  power,  honor,  and  truth  of 
God. — Blessed  be  his  holy  name,  he  doth  not  cure  like  .\  Pa- 
racelsus, to  make  the  relapse  worse  than  the  disease  ;  but  he 
heals  all  diseases  of  sin,  and  prevents  all  relapses  to  ruin. 
He  is  faithful^  that  hath  promised ;  is  a  word  for  a  Christian's 
Jieart,  which  will  administer  more  comfort,  even  in  tiie  time 
of  his  trial,  than  the  contrary  tenet  possibly  can  to  its  espous- 
ers,  in  the  moments  of  their  greatest  ease.  Our  Goa  is  a 
Rock  ;  and  his  work  must  be  perfed  :  And  surely  tiien  the 
works  of  his  grace,  so  much  more  costly  ajid  sublinio,  as  ifiey 
are  than  all  his  works  of  nature,  can  never  be  incomplete. 

Come  then,  humble  Christian  ;  while  others  contend  for 
doubting  (a  poor  prize,  not  worth  their  pains  !)  do  thou  prjy 
and  entreat  for  the  firmest  a6ls  of  believing.  In  tins  way, 
thou  wilt  be  enabled  to  glorify  God  ;  and,  in  this  course,  iic 
will,  one  day,  glorify  thee.  Faith  is  the  death  of  sin,  as  well 
as  the  life  of  righteousness.  Faith  makesa  treasure  of  God  s 
word,  and  treasures  up,  as  the  choicest  jewels,  the  c.xceedjng 
crreat  and  precious  promises  found  thereiii.  Faith  liits  up  cue 
soul  above  the  busy  bustling  troubles  of  a  thorny  woriU,  or 
wafts  it  over  a  sea  of  care?  with  safety  to  the  ha\en  ot  buss. 
Faith  leads  the  spirit  of  a  man  to  communion  with  Christ,  and 
through  him,  to  an  access  ivith  confidence  to  the  Etlrnal 
Three.  In  a  word  ;  faith  teaches,  purifies,  and  comforts  the 
heart  living  and  dying  ;  inspires  it  wiih  a  holy  longing  for 
unalterable  bliss  ;  and,  at  length,  dissolves  into  love  v/hcn 
the  believer  is  arrived  in  that  place,  where  lie  v/ill  be  found 
to  the  praise,  and  honor,  and  glory  of  his  God,  Vvithout  inter- 
ruption and  without  end. 

Li^.stly  ;  contemplate  the  triumphs  offaiib^  and  pray,  that, 
according  to  the  occasion,  these  triumphs  may  be  thine. 
What,  a  golden  legend,  indeed,  is  the  eleventh,  chapter  to  the 

*  Walk  of  Faith.  Vol.  i.  p.  40. 


212  S  P  I  R  I  T     or     F  A  I  T  H. 

Hebrews!  What  a  noble  army  of  martyrs,  and  other  con- 
fessors or  Christ,  may  be  found  there,  and.  in  ancient  ecclesi- 
astical histories  !  Filled  with  this  Spirit  offaith^  they  despi- 
sed all  tile  malice  of  men,  and  looked  down  upon  their  cruel 
tormentors,  with  contempt  for  their  rage,  and  with  pity  fpr 
their  souls.  One  cannot  read  those  magnanimous  words  of 
Lactantius^  without  being  moved.  *^  With  God  before  our 
eyes,  with  God  in  our  hearts,  we  can  triumph  by  his  aid  over 
ah  the  torments  which  men  can  inflict  upon  our  bodies.  At 
those  times  of  trial,  we  are  able  to  think  of  nothing  else,  but 
the  blessings  of  the  life  immortaU  Though  Lorn  in  pieces,  or 
consuming  in  the  fire,  we  are  assisted  to  sustain,  without  dif- 
ficulty, whatever  the  madness  of  tyranny  can  contrive  to 
lay  upon  us.  Nor  do  we  meet  death  itself  with  regret  or  fear, 
but  court  it  freely  and  with  joy  ;  knov/ing  what  glory  is  just 
ready  to  be  put  upon  us,  and  that  we  are  only  hastening  to 
enjoy  the  promises."^  This  was  not  an  empty  boast,  utter- 
ed wiien  no  danger  was  near,  but  professed  about  the  time  of 
one  ui  the  bitterest  and  most  severe  persecutions,  which  e- 
ver  tried  the  church  of  God. 

'Tis  not  probable,  believer,  that  thou  shouldst  be  called  to 
this  sort  of  trial  for  thy  faith  :  But,  if  thou  wert,  the  same 
God,  who  filled  thine  ancient  brethren  with  courage  and  joy, 
could  give  thee  the  same  triumph  in  the  end.  There  is, 
however,one  trial,  which  thou  and  all  men  must  in  a  very  short 
time  endure.  The  hour  and  trial  of  death  is  near  to  thee,  and 
far  from  nobody  in  the  world.  Thou  art  graciously  privileged 
to  triumph  over  the  last,  as  well  as  other  enemies  of  thy  soul. 
Vi6lory  over  death  is  the  infallible  blessing  to  every  believer  ; 
and  £onietim:iS  transport  in  death.  He  will  e'er  long  open 
his  eyes  and  mouth  in  heaven,  though,  disease  may  have  stop- 
ped them  below.  And  can  that  be  death,  which  ends  in  life  ? 
Can  that  be  an  evil  which  lasts  for  a  moment,  and  then  con- 
ducts to  everlasting  good  ? — Who  can  read,  without  encourage- 
ment, the  noble  confession  of  the  gracious  Rivet^  just  before 
his  translation  to  glory  r  *^  Lord,  come  and  receive  me — I 
'^  long  for  thee,  O  my  God  1  My  soul  boketh  for  thee^  as  tbe 
*'  parched  earth  for  moisture.  Gome,  Lord  ;  come,  Jesus  ; 
"  take  me  into  thy  bosom.  I  am  ready  whensoever  it  shall 
*'  please  thee. — I  long  for  his  coming  ;  yet  do  I  not  tret  my- 
*'  self.  Through  the  help  of  God,  I  am  not  troujbled.  I  wait  ; 
''  I  believe  ;  I  persevere.  Though  he  delay  my  joy,  yet  I 
*'  am  in  my  way;  and  the  sense  of  his  favour  grows  in  me  e- 
''  very  tnoment.  My  pain  is  suiTerable  ;  and  my  joy  is  be- 
*'  vond  value.  I  have  no  more  earthly  cares,  nor  any  desires,- 
"  but  of  the  things  that  are  above."     Then  laying  his  hand. 

*  Lisl»  Epit,  \  8, 


L         A         W.  :i,3 

upon  his  breast,  h?  added  ;  ''  Here  is  inward  jo/,  by  the  S  n. 
''  rit  of  God  dwcllinj^  in  ine.  What  am  I,  O  ^n-ucious  (inl, 
**  Lhat  thou  d'jignest  to  dwell  under  ir.y  poor  raotr  It  is  ny 
""^  will,  O  Lord  }  and  it  is  mine  also.  Let  thy  goud  Spirit 
*'•  dwell  in  me  to  the  end  l"  Some  of  his- last  words  were; 
I  am  going  to  your  God,  my  iViends,  and  to  my  God.      vVe 

"  have  gained  all:   Amen." Djubiless,  one   of  his  (iist 

words,  soon  after  these,  was  ballclujab  ! — Reader,  pray  that  i^ 
iiiav  also  be  tbinc  I 


LAW. 

WHEN  man  fell  from  God,  the  world,  which  was  made 
for  him,  was  thrown   into  disorder  j   and  he  hiinsclf, 
like  a  tjiiandering  star^  removed  from  its  proper  course,  begaa 
to  slide  from  darkness  to  darkness,  and  naturally  tended  on- 
ward to  the  blackness  of  darkness  for  ever,     A  law  hid  been 
given  him,   as  the  test  of  his  obedience,  calculated  both  for 
body  and  mind;  and  this  law  required  nothing,   but  what  it 
v/as  both   his  duty   and  his  ha})piness   to  observe.     He  had  a 
superiority  overall   creatures  in  the  world,  which  was  then 
his  pleasant  though   not  perpetual  home  ;  and  he  was  subjetl 
to  none  but  to  Him,  who  afforded  him  both  life  and  love,  and 
who  only  claim'-d  that  from   him,  which  he  was  well  able  to 
pay,  and  in  the  payment  of  which  he  was  to  receive  ;uvv  and 
new  incomes  of  joy.    All  his  blessediuss  consisted  in  looking 
itp^jjards  to  God;   and  therefore,  as  a  picture  of   the   state   of 
Ins  mind,  his  Maker  gave  him  a  sublime  countenance*  and  an 
ere-31  posiure  of  body.     Thus   while  his   natural  eyes  m-^nt 
easily    view   the    heavens,  the   e\  es    of  his    mind  c  uld    b-*- 
hollHJM,   whom  the  heaven  of  heavens  cannot  contain,   but 
yet  who  vouchsafed  to    set  up  his  throne  in  the  heart  ot  his 
humble  creature  man.     By  the  very  figure  of  his  body  v/  .s  he 
taui'^ht,  'where  lay  the  fundamental  happines'^  of  his  soul :   His 
face,  then    the  true  index  of  his  mind,  p-vnted  up'^ards  and 
continually  to  God.      The  beasts    were    created   otherwrse;. 
that  he  mig-ht  learn  from  their  prone  and  downward  aspect, 

Vol.  H.  ]:>  d 

*   Q3  honiini  sublime  dsdit^  cxhimq*  vidcre 
Jiissitf  if  erectos  ad  s'ulera  ioUtrc  cuitwi, 

Ovid.  M^t.  I.  i.  f.  S. 
Lactantius  frequently  dwells  upon  this  t.ioa-ht,  YV'un  nis  usual 
elep-ance  of  expression,  in  his  In^timtcns, 


zi4  L        A        W. 

that  they  had  no  end  beyond  the  earth ;  and  that  he  alone 
was  privileged,  as  well  as  enabled,  to  hold  intercourse^  with 
heaven  and  the  God  of  heaven.  And  concerning  the  test  oF 
his  obedience,  a^  an  excellent  maij  hath  well  observed  ;  ''  the 
fair  tree,  of  wh.ich  he  v/as  forbidden  to  eat,  taught  him  the 
same  lesson,  that  his  happiness  lay  not  in  enjoyment  of  the 
creatures  ;  for  there  was  a  want  even  in  Paradise :  So  that 
the  forbidden  tree  was,  in  eiTecl,  the  band oi  ail  the  creatures, 
fointitig  man  away  from  themselves  to  God  for  happiness. 
It  was  a  sign  of  empi'incss  hung  before  the  door  of  the  crea- 
tion, with  chat  inscription,  This  is  not  your  Rest."* 

When  man,  for  his  disobedience,  was  thrust  out  of  this  Pa- 
radise, he  lost  the  instrxiction^  which  the  objects  existing  in 
it  were  created  to  give  him,  asv/ell  as  the  capacity  to  under- 
stand any  thing,  but  a  part  of  hi&  own  wretchedness.  He  felt 
misery  and  death  in  his  body,  beyond  the  possibility  of  denial; 
and  his  soul  became,  as  cur  souls  are  from  him,  exceedingly 
dark  and  ignorant  concerning  the  great  obje6ls  of  his  beit«j^ 
He  was  not  only  without  the  knowiege  of  God,  but  without 
a  desire  to  know  him.  He  burst  forth  from  Paradise  an  Out- 
lay; in  every  sense  of  the  termf  liable  to  divine  vengeance, 
and  without  title  to  divine  mercy.  In  this  forlorn  condition, 
without  light  from  God,  because  void  of  all  spiritual  commu- 
nion with  him  ;  he  must  ever  have  wandered  and  groped  in 
mental  darkness,  if  Jehovah  himself  had  not,  deigned  to  pro- 
vide a  recovery.  For  this  end,  it  was  necessary,  that  there 
should  be  a  manifestation  of  some  enlightening  lav/,  by-  which 
the  divine  purity  might  be  known,  and  man  compare  his  own 
lapsed  and  miserable  condition.  Accordingly,  an  exhibition- 
was  made  of  one  grand  spiritual  decree^  the  truth  of  which 
was  to  be  attested  by  several  particulars  that  reach  the  ani- 
mal sense  of  both  sexes  ;  namely,  that  enmity  should  be  put 
between  the  devil   andhuman  nature,   instead  of  their  then 

s 
d 


this   promised  seed,  by   his  divine  povv-er,   should  at  length 
trample  upon  -^w^  bruise  his  hcadiox  ever. 

This  was  the  first  ray  of  spiritual  light,  which  broke 
tb>rough  the  darkness  of  our  fallen  world:  And  it  became  a 
ray  of  hope  to  ail  succeeding  generations.  That  Spirit  of 
Gcd^  which,  in  the  first  creation,  moved  upon  the  face  of  the 
tto'.ibled  deep,  now  began  to  brood  with  the  warmth  of  his 
I;  vj  iipcn  the  troubled  soul  of  man.  The  iaw  of  ih'is  Spirit 
'/  Li/'e-  here  began  to  free  ihe  unhappy  mind,  fettered  and 
crought  into  ca])tivity  to  the  law  of  sin  and  death.  '  It  is  our 

*   Loston\  F'jurf old  Slate ^  P*  ^3* 


L        A        W.  215 

Jijrivilege,  then,  to  consider,  K\jhat  this  A/o;  is  in  \lz  essence  and 
tj/ects^  and  what  relation  these  bear  to  us. 

There  are  many  acceptations  of  this  word  Law,  all  of 
them  just  and  true,  and  all  of  them  important  likewise  to  sal- 
vation ;  or,  they  had  never  been  revealed. 

The  word  Law^  as  it  stands  in  tlie  iiible  coni'.cOed  with 
spiritual  tilings,  includes  thes-j  various  senses,  i.  !•:  is  taken 
for-the  law  which  God  hath  planted  in  the  frame  and  consti- 
tution of  the  world,  whicii  is  preserved  and  couduclcd  ac- 
cording to  his  ordinance.  Psa,  cxix.  qi.  ^.  Sonietiines  it 
implies  the Ju'ry  law^  delivered  by  Moscs^  which,  because  of 
its  extreme  purity  and  our  sinfulness,  seems  cloathed  with 
all  the  fire  of  God's  venge?n<:e  :  And  this  is  frcc[ucntly  called 
the  moi'alli2~jj^X.\\\i  Iciter  of  wl)ich  is  in  trie  Ten  Connnandmcnts. 
3..  The  term  is  also  used  for  tlie  ceremonial  law,  wluch  was  a 
doctrinal  exempli  r  of  the  gosjxl  of  grace.  4.  The  Scriptures 
are  sometiiucs  called  by  this  name,  John  x.  34.  possibly  be- 
cause they  contain  the  whole  revealed  law  and  mind  of  (^od, 
5.  The  gospel  likewise,  in  distinction  from  the  law  of  Moses^ 
is  called  the  la~co  af  faith.  Rom.  iii.  27.  6.  Tiie  covenant  of 
grace  itself,  of  which  every  iota  must  be  fulfilled  and  shall 
never  pass  away,  is  thus  named,  i  Chron.  xvi.  17.  et  al. 
7.  And  sometimes  it  is  used  personally  for  the  SpiniT  of 
God:  In  which  view  it  will  be  considered  in  tliis  Essay  ;  be- 
cause HE  is  the  spring  or  fiiiindalion  of  the  ivL'jIc. 

If  we  look  at  the  radical  sense  of  the  original  term,  v;hicli 
seems  to  be  the  only  true  way  of  studying  the  Bible,  we  shall 
find  it  derived  from  a  root,  which  signifies  to  cast^  or  tbro^^ 
or  shoot  any  thing  like  a  dart,  and  which,  in  the  conjugation 
Hiphil^  means  to  teach^  to  thro^u  instruction  upon  the  mir.d, 
to  inject  or  sbo^ecer  do-^n  do(fti  ine,  like  the  rain  cast  down  from 
heaven.  The  term,  therefore,  teaches  us,  that  we  not  only 
need\.\\\?>  instmclion  naturally,  but  also  that  it  can  only  be  giv- 
en us  from  above,  or  that  by  ii  superior  agent  it  must  be  in- 
jeded  into  our  minds.  And  because  our  capacities  are  dull 
in  heavenly  things,  and  our  corruptions  make  great  opposi- 
tion to  them  within  ;  this  tuition  is  applied  under  the  image 
of  force  and  strong  impression,  and  this  being  effected  by  an 
almighty  hand,  the  instruction  becomes  ^  <a';ru^$'«/ci  and po'o:- 
erful,  and  sharper  (or  more  penetrating)  than  any  tv)0-edged 
s-xord,  piercing  even  to  the  dividing  asunder  of  soul  and  spt- 
rit^  and  of  the  joints  ^nd  niarro%v,  and  is  a  disccrncr  (or  crilic) 
cfthe  tbcuFbts  and  intents  of  the  heart.     Heb.  iv.  ix. 

It  may  also  be  observed,  that  as  rain  in  nature  descend* 
freely  from  the  skies,  this  rain  of  instrutlion  also  comes  down 
T.s  freely  from  the  God  of  the  skies.  .  Tliis  doarinc,  there- 
fore, whether  it  be  called  la-JJ,  ordinances,  statutes,  tcsttmo- 
files,  cor,manclments,  or  the  like,  mean:-  neither  more  nor  less. 


%i6  L        A        W. 

5n  its  primary  sense,  than  a  divine  revelation,  branched 
on.  into  liKse  various  |:.Hiticuiars  accoraing  to  some  peculiar 
and  neccosai  y  application  to  the  state  of  the  children  of  men, 
i^i\  these  particulars  were  delivered,  or  (according  to  the 
root)  pound  doivn^  from  heaven  by  the  inspiration  of  God, 
and  indeed,  when  collecTted,  compose  but  owq  great  aggregate, 
aiising  tioiii  one  great  cause,  and  answering  one  great  end. 
This  end  is  God's  glory  in  his  people's  salvation  :  And  the 
cause  vve  shall  consider  presently.  Upon  this  plan,  was  the 
first  revelation  of  God  thrown  into  the  aching  bosoms  of  our 
Mist  parents.  For  this  purpose,  CixA  Abrabam  obey  Jehovah's 
voice^  and  keep  bis  charge^  bis  commandments^  bis  scatutes^  and 
his  ,a-ivs^  under  t\\^  patriarchal  dispensation.  Gen,  xxvi.  5. 
In  this  view,  iha.  moral  and  ceremonial  la<w^  accompanied  with 
rites^  ceremonies^  siaiuiesy  tesiimonics^  8<c.  into  which  those 
laws  were  distributed  and  aiSLinguished,  were  delivered  to 
Moses.,  for  the  Jtivisb  oeconomy.  And  to  fulfil  this  great  ob- 
jeci,  was  the  gospel  itself,  and  all  its  written  %vordy  delivered 
to  man  ;  as  the  coiisumnate  revelation  of  God's  eternal  will, 
niii;d,  or  law,  concerning  his  redeniption. 

This  word  Law,  then,  in  its  broad  and  glorious  sense,  sig- 
nifies all  or  any  instruelion  and  revelation  of  the  mind  of  Jet 
HOV-iii  :  and  though  expressed  b}^  diuerent  names,  in  order 
to  shew  its  dilfertnt  purposes,  it  still  is  in  pcrfecl  harmony  in 
all  its  parts,  and  results  only  from  one  grand  idea  in  the  mind 
Oi  God.  The  law  delivered  to  Moses  is  generally  understood 
to  be  a  law  oi  death  ai'id  condemnation  ;  and  so  it  truly  is  to 
every  sinner  out  of  Christ  :  And  it  was  given  to  teach  sir.- 
ners  that  most  important  instrudlion.  But  yet  that  law  in 
its.lf  is  conrLSSvjdly  Z'o/y,  Jzzj-^,  andgood^  and  to  every  believer 
in  JesiiSy  the  ator.er  and-fulhlier,  is  icaliy  a  part  or  manircstati- 
on  o[\.h2iX.  perfect  law  of  liberty  ^wh'ich.  opens  tchiinten  thousand 
}  i-.>miscs,and  at  lengtn  introduces  him  to  glory.  The  matter  of 
d  .;t!i  is  in  the  sinner^  not  in  the  laiv  ;  and  though  damnation  it- 
seii  arises  from  the  pure  goodness  of  G(.d,  which  cannot  endure 
sin,  J!  :s  :  ot  to  be  iniputeti  to  him,  as  the  causc^  but  to  iniqui- 
ty, v>  aich  is  averse  to  his  being,  and  being  separated  from  it 
r.ccessariiy  becomes  misery.  Tnis  law,  so  far  from  quarrelling 
v.ith  the  gwspel,  zj- the  gospel  iii  Christ,  and  another  branch, 
o.  a]:peaj.:r;Ci'  only,  of  the  same  unalterable  and  hoi)'  will. 
Tiic.  gospel  could  not  be  the  gospel  without  this  pcrfeCl  law  ,• 
which  points  oi;t  the  ■  just  requirements  of  God,  on  the 
one  h.;nd,  iuii  of  trutli  and  iriajcsty  ;  and  wliich,  in  cor.juiiC- 
tion  with  the  gcspel,  exhibits,  on  the  other,  a  complete  sa- 
ti.-.facVJon  of  all  those  requirements  by  one,  who  Vv-as  able  to 
p:i.y  tiicm.  The  law  and  tl.3' -gospel  are  two  branches  of  onf.  ' 
divine  nvclation;  the  former,  when  alcnc^  shewing  the  hei- 
nv.usr.css  oi  sin  and  the  condemnation  of  sinners;  and  the 
latter,  witiiout   the   leas:  derogation  from  the  absolute  perr 


fedion  of  the  law,  explaining  the  puiific'^rion  of  sin,  and  the 
salvation  oi  siimcrs,  by  a  iVIcaiator.  Bct/b  unite  in  displaying 
Ood's  purity  and  justice  glorified  by  meaiis,  v;hich  at  tiie  same 
time  iiiujiratc  las  ki:;dncss  and  love  :  Ar.d,  in  this  anion,  it 
is,  that  vdcrcy  and  trinh  arc  7:1c i  LO;::i-c:bcj\  ri^btcousntss  aVid 
pCi:CC  ba'-jc  kissed  each  other  ;  01,  in  the  language  of  I'le  New 
Testament,  ttiat  God  is  just^  £iud  ibc  juslijlcr  of  bird  ^  thai  be- 
licjctb  in  Jlsl  s. 

We  are  now  conic  to  the  niain  objc>{c  in  view,  and  may  pcr- 
.ceive,  that  as  ali  God's  rczclation  is  hut  o;:r,  tiiough  diveisjfi- 
ed  by  several  names  and  parts  ;  so  the  Cheat  Rlvi^altr  is 
one  and  the  same,  who  spake  by  pa':ri-irehs  ;  prophets,  and 
apostles,  and  who  hath  rained  clown  ali  the  true  ir.struclion 
from  heaven,  which  ever  renewed  men  upon  the  faee  of  the 
earth. 

in  some  other  papers,  we  have  considered,  ^^bo  this  great 
iastruclor,  teacher,  and  revcaler  is  ;  -^i^c^^i  have  proved,  tlvat 
He  is  no  other  than  God  tlie  Spirit.  Holy  men  of  old  s  poke, 
fjs  toey  n.vtre  movid  by  tbc  Holy  Gbost  ;  and  the  Holy  Ghost 
25  to  teach  his  people  and  to  dwell  iii  them,  to  the  end  of  time, 
and  thereby  to  prepare  them  for  his  eternal  inhabitation. 
Kph.  ii.  32.  "  But  can  He,  therefore,  be  called  the  Law  c/ 
the  Lord?^'' — Let  his  ov/n  revealed  lavv^  determine  ;  only  pre- 
iTiising,  that  iaeo^  mind,  and  '■ciilU  with  relation  to  God,  are 
terms^  in  their  broad  extent,  j.errc6"tly  synonimous.  His  la^ 
is,  respeding  us,  the  expression  of  his  mind^  and  the  declara- 
tion of  his  'end  ;  all  which  are  terms  rather  adapted  to  our 
conceptions  and  feelings,  than  definitions  Z&cy  God  thinks, 
wills,  or  commands,  of  which  it  is  impossible  we  should 
form  any  proper  idea.  AVe  know  not  even  the  rr.odc  of  our 
GV/n  understandings.  Augustine  calls  Christ  himself  tbc  e- 
tcrnalla^M  y"*  and    verv  justly,  because  tiie  Scriptures  repre- 

*   De  "oora  Rel Each  person  in  the  Godhead,  and  ccnsequently 

4thc  whole  Gouiiead,  is  this  law  eternal  and  essential  which  is  also 
called  the  larj  of  libevtj  ;  because  it  removes  that  force  and  oipres- 
sicn  ofsin,  w.dcn  connnes  from  holiness,  and  liberates  the  soul  tO 
the  exercise  ol  ali  goodness,  //the  Scn  .hcdl  rr.akv you frcc.yc shall 
be  free  indeed;  was  the  voice  of  the  Son  himself,  wno,  with  the  I  a- 
ther  and  Spirit,  huti  a  right  to  tnis  title.  It  is  remai''.^able,  that 
Luther,  in  his  comment  upon  the  Ga  aiuins,  in  which  he  spenks  with 
t-reat  veh'  mence  ai;ainst  the  moral  law  as  a  covenant  of  works,  ^r.d 
mstly  rcprencnds  them  who  so  far  pervert  it  from  the  dcsii^n  of  its 
revelation,  as  to  aim  at  sainition  bv  it ;  has  tliese  striking  words  up- 
on the  eternal  law  of  which  we  are  speak-ns^- :  "  I  hcur  thee  murmur- 
in?-,  O  law  [law  of  J/iJoc-?,]  that  tliou  wiit  accuse  and  condemn  me  ; 
but  this  doth  not  trouble  me.  Thou  art  to  me,  as  the  grave  was  ui- 
10  Christ ;  for  1  see  that  thou  art  fast  bound  :  And  tnrs  hath  my  l aw 
done.  What  law  is  that?  Liberty,  which  is  cadeu  the  law,  not 
J>ecau3e  it  bind-h  me-  but  bec-^se  it  ^lndK.^  ih^  law  Li.  c  ns  to  its 


2i8  LAW. 

sent  him  as  that  Erernal  Life,  ^hlch  ivas  with  tbo.  Father^ 
and  luas  iviANirFSTED  unto  man,  i  John  i.  i.  and  as  that  au- 
thor of  eternal  sahation^  in  'uohom  vjas  purposed  iho.  eternal 
PURPOSE  of  God,  for  liut  end.  P^ph,  iii.  1 1.  In  short,  whatever 
can  be  predicated  of  God,  is  God  himself;  and  as  the  cause 
and  end  of  the  divine  law  and  government  is  God's  own  exis- 
tence, his  law  cannot  he  any  thing  different  from  himself,  as 
to  its  csscjice  y  for  otherwise  something  will  exist  in  God, 
which  is  net  God,  and  so  oppose  the  simplicity  and  purity  of 
his  nature.  The  intelle6l  of  man  is  the  subordinate  rule  and 
measure  of  man's  capacity,  and  is  the  grand  constituent  of 
his  being.  The  intelle6l  of  God  likewise  (humbly  speaking 
after  the  manner  of  man,  who  is  created  in  bis  likeness  J  is  the 
rule  ai.d  law  of  his  own  being,  and  cannot  be  any  thing  but 
himself.  \Ve  know  concerning  his  intellect  only  by  his  cor.i- 
munication  or  publication^  v/hich  is  now  a  rule  and  law  to  us, 
it  being  the  vianife station  of  his  own  will,  applying  itself  to 
such  and  such  objects  as  fail  under  our  apprehensions.  Far- 
ther than  this  publication,  we  can  know  nothing  of  God  :  And 
this,  so  far  as  w^e  truly  know  it,  is  (as  it  were)  God  speaking 
to  us,  or  the  rule,  mode,  or  law,  by  which  we  are  to  have  our 
intercourse  and  communion  with  him. 

L^  the  essence  of  God,  then,  be  his  own  /<3w,  the  original  and 
"  primitive  reason,"  and  the  cause  of  all  lanas  planted  in  or 
delivered  down  to  the  creatures  ;  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  a  sub- 
sistent  in  that  essence,  participates  whatever  can  be  predi- 
cated oi  it,  and  is  personally,  therefore,  this  essential  la^jo. 
Thus,  He  who  says,  I  am  underst-^nding,  immediately  adds, 
By  vie  kings  reign,  and  princes  decree  justice  :  By  me  princes 
RULE,  and  nobles^  even  all  the  judges  of  the  earth.  Frov.  viii. 
15,  16.  Through  this  Eternal  Spirit,  or  /<2-iy,  ov  connsely 
or  divine  essence  (which  in  this  view  are  one  and  the  same,) 
Christ  offered  himself  without  spot  to  God,  that  he  might  ful- 
fil the  revealed  law  of  God,  which  sprung  from  that  eternal 
law  just  mentioned.  Thus  the  sy.cret  of  the  Lord  is  tvith 
them,  that  fear  him  ;  i.  e.  hie  Holy  Spirit  or  secret  laiv^  con- 
finning   the  mind  and  law  of  God  revealecL     Thus  believers 

condemning  power]  which  bound  me,  even  the  law  of  the  ten  Com- 
mandments. But  against  that  law,  I  have  another  lavr,  even  the 
law  of  grace,  which  however,  is  to  me  no  law,  because  it  doth  not 
bind,  but  set  me  at  liberty.  And  this  is  a  law  against4:hat  accusing 
and  condemning  law,  which  is  so  bound  by  this  law,  that  it  hath  no 
power  to  hurt  mc Thus  C/irist^wiih.  most  sweet  names,  is  cal- 
led MY  LAW,  Sec."  Co;;?,  on  Gal.  ii.  18.  Sqc  tiho  Lactantius,  who 
calls  Christ,  as  to  his  Godhead,  vivain  prasentemqiie  Legebi.  De 
vera  sap. \,  i\A,  17.  To  the  same  purpose  see  Thom.  Xo^Finis 
divina  guberriationis  est  ipse  Deus^  nee  ejus  lex  est  aliud  ab  ipso.  Prim. 
Sec  Q.  xci.  A.   1. 


L        A         W.  219 

are  hd  by  the  Spirit  (who  becovnes  the  law  of  their  minds  J  to 
be  the  chilaren,  and  the  ob.'dient  children  of  God.  Rom.  viii, 
14.  with  vii.  23.  Thus  the  laio  of  the  Spirit  oj  :if\  makes  these 
believers  free  from  the  law  of  sin  and  deaths  Rom.  viii.  2.  * 
and  to  this  law  the  carnal  mind  is  not  subject^  neither  indeed 
can  be^  because  the  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God,  who 
tst\\Q  law.  Rom.  viii.  7.  Thus  ivhere  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is^ 
there  is  liberty  ;  because  the  Spirit  is  that  perject  law  cf  li- 
berty ^  which  is  not  only  free  himself,  but  makes  his  people 
free  by  his  energetic  grace,  Thus  the  Spirit^  under  this  name 
of /r.j-iiy,  as  well  as  Christ  under  the  title  oi  word^  spake  unto 
the  fathers  by  the  prophets.  Isaiah  i.  10.  I'hus  the  law  was  in 
the  psalmist's  heart  y  not  surely  the  written,  the  moral,  the 
ceremonial  law,  for  these  of  themselves  could  not  profit  the 
heart  ;  but  that  ^tc'^z/  /^w,  whdch  enlightened  to  him  the  ob- 
ject and  use  of  tliose  revealed  laws,  and  which  was  thewn^^r- 
standing  he  prayed  for,  by  whom  alone  he  should  be  enabled 
to  keep  or  observe  them.  Ps.  xl.  8.  cxix.  33.  This  law  was 
his  delight^  because  this  law  is  the  truth  ;  which  is  as  much 
as  to  say,  God  or  the  Spirit  himself  And  thus  man  can  yield 
no  true  obedience  to  the  written  and  revealed  law,  but  by  the 
power  of  that  essential  and  secret  law,  who  helpeth  his  peo- 
pWs  infrmiliess  and  maketh  iyiter  cession  for  the  saints^  accord- 
ing to  the  will  of  God. 

From  this  consideration  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  under 
the  name  of  law  in  essence^  or  lawgiver  in  fact  ;  we 
draw  another  incontestable  argument  for  his  di'uinity  and 
equality  in  the  Godhead,  For,  if  He  be  the  essential  law. 
He  must  be   essentially   God  /J  Or,  if  he  be  the  great  re- 

*  In  this  vicAv  of  the  word  /flU',  considering  it  as  the  Spirit  of 
lijc  himself;  the  difticulty,  which  Dr.  Gujse  complains  of,  in  his 
note  upon  the  passage,  seems  to  vanish  ;  and  a  very  considerable 
light  is  also  thrown  upon  the  context. 

\  The  Stoics  and  other  hcatheias  had  some  faint  notions  of  this 
truth  upon  the  principles  of  reason,  wiiich  led  them  far  enoui-Ji  tp 
see,  that  there  must  be  some  supreme  and  universal  law  pcrvuding 
all  that  exists  ;  as,  without  it,  nothing  cou!d  exist,  and  mucli  less  in 
order  zind  perfect  ion.  But  their  dark  and  blind  fitc^  their  soul  of  the 
v^orld,  or  natural  force^  is  founded  upon  a  very  different  idea  from 
what  revelation  aiTords  ;  for,  examined  to  the  bottom,  their /arr, 
law^  &c.  is  neither  uncompounded  v*'i':h  rr.attjr^  nor  purely  abstra6\- 
ed  fiom  it.  Not  even  Seneca's  notion  is  cle?.r  in  this  respec>,  though 
he  had  th.e  advantage  of  living  later  in  the  world,  and  possibly  hud 
some  haformation  of  the  Christian  religion,  but  certainly  not  that  in- 
formation v.-hich  his  pretended  correspondence  with  St.  Feu!  would 
insinuate  to  us.  According  to  the  goe:pel,  God  is  the  law  becuMse 
of  his  oerP^aion  and  omniscience,  and  of  consequence  is  ihe  eter- 
nal rule  of  recUtade  and  \e\x\\\  both  to  Himscjf  and  his  caeaturcs. 


^16  L         A         W. 

vealer  of  the  corrjmunlcated  l?.v/,  in  all  or  any  of  its  branches  / 
HE  must:  be  God,  '.vho  only  could  i;i  ih^  li.'sc  instance  reveal 
his  own  mind  aiid  will :  Or,  it  he  explain  the  mind  of  the  Fez- 
tht'f'y  and  give  to  bilievers  the  miiid  of  Christ  or  the  Son  ;  uz 
must  be  ci^ual  to  the  Father  and  the  ^3:2  ;  unless  it  can  be 
presumed,  that  God  revealed  to  his  Spirit,  v/hac  the  Spirit  did 
not  kno\7  before;  Vv'hich  is  a  presumption,  supported  neither 
by  reason  nor  Scripture.  Not  by  reason  ;  because  it  would 
be  asserting,  that  there  is  somethi-ng  in  God,  called  the  Spirit 
of  God,  which  is  heterogeneous  to  the  divine  nature;  and 
this  consequently  would  destro}'the  simplicity  and  perfe6tion 
6f  his  being.  Not  by  Scripture  ;  because  the  Spirit  scarchetb 
ell  things^  yea,  the  very  profound  or  deep  things  of  God^  whoso 
inHuite  aud  eternal  being  he  must  fully  know,  and  to  which" 
for  that  Q:\''A  he  must  be  perfe(jlly  equal  5  or  there  v/ouldbe  an 
infinitude  of  things  ever  be)'ond  him,. which,  as  a  creature^  he 
could  ;?o/ possibly  j-c^^rc/3,  and  which,  \i  unscarcbcd  hy  him,- 
the  Scripture  could  not  possibly  be  true. 

Being  the  hm)  or  mind  of  God  himself,  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
certainly  abk  to  teach  it,  to  impress  it,  and  to  effeciluate  it, 
in  the  redeemed.  His  dovShine,  therefore,  according  to  this 
gracious  name,  descends  as  the  rain  (one  of  his  emblems,) 
and  orders  as  the  lavv-.  Spirit,  or  power  (for  these  are  his 
names,)  throughout  tlie  universe  of  the  faithful.  He  is  the 
fuifxUer  of  that  glorious  promise  in  Is.  ii.  2.  &c.  and.in  Mi- 
cah  iv.  1.  2,  &C."*     /;;  the  last  days^  the  mountain  of  the  Lord^s 

Yet  this  lav/,  or  rule,  doth  not  imply  confinement  to  him,  because  this 
}aw  is  the  unlimited  exercise  of  unbounded  goodness  and  perfe^don 
in  the  divine  nature;  but,  with  respeil  to  us,  it  forms  a  houndary 
only  because  we  are  sinners^  limiting  our  exercise  oievU  and  corrupt- 
tion;  for,  after  we  are  regenerated,  and  especially  when  we  enter 
heaven,  we  possess  the  glorious  liberty  of  (iod  through  his  perfect 
l:iw  of  liber  tj.  and  are  no  other  wa-  s  c  mfined  in  the  atSuvlty  of  holi- 
ness but  by  the  extent  of  cur  faculties.  Absolute  purity  is  all  li- 
berty :  Sin  only  is  bondage,  both  in  iisefas  to  itb  conneclion  with 
nothing  but  evil,  and  v.  1th  respetTt  to  God,  who  bounds  and  limits 
its  encroachmenls  upon  the  visible  and  invisible  parts  of  his  crea- 
tion. 

Of  the  heathen  opinions  concerning  this  sul:Je>?.  the  rcadcrmay 
see  more  in  Cicdt  naturadeor^  and  especially  in  Lactant,  dc  fals<^ 
rel  lib.  i.  {,  5.  and  dc  i^ita  beat.  1.  vii.  ' ,  3. 

t  This  mountain  ol  t''.e  Lord's  house  is  named  Moriah^  the  spot 
where  Abraham  offered  up  up  his  son,  and  where  the  temple  wa^ 
afterwards  built.  The  word  lloriah ^ccn\h  to  be  derived  from  the 
same  root,  with  the  word  Ic~:j^  and  plainly  denotes,  that  v.pon  this 
7nourJj:r*  tlie  d:cir;::c,  insiructiouy  and  repres^-ntution  of  grace,  should 
descend  and  be  revealed.  Upon  this  mountain,  A-^kam  received 
instruJlion,  through  the  type  of  Ms  sor,  concerning  the  mode  of 
Chrlst'3  reJeimti^n  :     So  :!:  !  Vr.?  Jews,  in  the  con^itant  sacrilices 


L         A         W.  ill 

bouse  shall  be  established and  all  nations  shall  JIo^m  unto  it  : 

And  many  people  shall  go  and  say  ^  Come  ye^and  Ui  us  ^o  ///;  tj 
the  mountain  of  the  Lord^  to  the  house  of  the  (Jod  of  'faeob^r.nd 
HK  w/7/  teach  us  of  his  "Jtays^  and  -we  will  wjal/i  in  his  p.iths  ; 
for  out  of  Zion[nothom  fforeb]  shall  go  forth  the  \.  WW,  and 
the  WORD  of  the  Lord  from  Jerusalem. 0  House  of  Ja- 
cob^ come  ye^  and  let  us  %oalk  in  the  Light  of  the  Lord.     And 
what  is  this  light^  but  the  divine  nature   itself,  of  which  be- 
lievers are  n\:(.(}iit  partakers  ?  And  what  is  this /^^u^whicli  pro- 
ceeds from   Zion^  but  this  very  light  '?  Th/ia   essential  law  is 
that  essential  light,  from  which  all  statutes,  testimonies,  or- 
dinances, revelations  internal  and  external,  were  ever  but  so 
many  rays  sent  down  to  man,  in  order  to  lead  him  up   to  his 
God.    Believers  here  are  in  a  dark  wilderness  ;   and  the  word 
of  God  is  given  as  the  lanthorn,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  as  the 
light    therein,   to   condu6l  their  otherwise  undire(^led  feet  t  ^ 
their  Father's  house.     This  Spirit  is  ih^perfect  la-.v^  convert- 
ing the  soul ;   and  all  his  statutes,  testimonies,  and  coumand- 
ments,  were  revealed  for  the  work  of  his  salvation.     Th-i  re- 
deemed in  all  ages,  like  the  rest  of  the  world,  wer^i  ignorant 
sinners,  without  rule,  and  without  law  (i  Cor.  ix.  21.)  by  na- 
ture :   This  Spirit  of  truth  comes,  in  the  appointed  time,  takes 
his   written  rule  and  applies  it  to  their  hearts,  and  so  makes 
that  to  be  the  measure  and  ground  of  his  own  condud  tov/ards 
them.     He  explains    to   their    minds,  how  his  own  revealed 
law,  when  expressive  of  the  absolute  perfedion  of  the  divine 
nature  (as  in  the  case  of  the  law  called  moral)  is  necessarily 
against  them  as  sinners ;   and  how,  on  the  oilisr  hand,  it  gra- 
ciously becomes  a  part  of  the  cavenant  of  life  itself  in  Christ 

and  services  of  the  temple,  as  well  as  by  the  immediate  revelations 
of  God's  will  often  delivered  there.  Here  God  made  his  doctrine 
descend  as  thd  de-iV^  and  upon  this  holy  mountain,  typifying  Christ 
himself,  (Zech.  viii.  3.)  God  would  alone  be  worshipped  with  his 
prescribed  services  ;  and  concerning  this  mountain,  under  the 
symbol  of  our  Redeemer,  very  glorious  things  are  spoken  in  Isaiah 

XXV.  6,  Sec All  this,  in  plainer  language,  signifies,  that  the  Spirit 

v.'ould  descend  upon  Christ  alone  for  the  purpose  of  efieaing  sal- 
vation, and  xXvdtGodwas  in  Christ  reconciling  the  world  to  himsell ; 
so  that,  "  without  Christ,  tl^ere  is  no  grace  given,  nor  sin  for- iven," 
but  that  in  him  all  our  commvmion  with  God  is  obtained  and  conti 

nued  for  ever It    may   further  be  observed  that  part  of  tlii-i 

mountain  with  part  of  the  temple  stood  in  Juduh.  i.nd  the  other  part 
of  both  in  Benjamin  ;  which  partition  may  possibly  be  mtenc.ed  to 
mean,  that  Christ  was  not  the  Saviour  only  of  one  class  of  men,  i.  c. 
th^- Jews,  but  of  Jews  and  Gentiles,  who  are  privileged  to  look  upon 
him  as  their  common  Lord,  and  to  have  an  ecpial  claim  to  aim  u^ 
their  holy  temple  and  mountain  of  hoiincsu. 
Vol.   II.  E  e 


i-z  LA        W. 

Jesus,  \\\:o  liath  fulfilled  It  for  his  people  and  entitled  tli^rr? 
to  be  sair.ts  ;  and  net  only  saints,  iiiipertctl  c-s  they  are  in 
this  life,  but  holy  and  immaculate  beings.  Thus,  hereafter, 
they  are  represented  as  TrJking  in  '.ernblematie)  nubite^  or 
purity,  ar.d  crcvncd  with  the  utmost  perle(:\ion  and  bliss. 
All  the  revealed  word,  wil>,  law,  and  promice  of  God,  are 
sliewn  by  this  Spirit  to  he  all yea^  and  all  amtn^  in  th-e  great 
Redeemer;  all  full  of  po:;itive  Kvercy  and  blessing,  and  alt 
ct)nilrmed  bv  the  faithfulness  andti-uth  of  an  omiTipotent  God* 
As  the  u'r/if/c/?  word  i-s  a  revelation  of  the  :in'[vrii:ten  mind  and- 
law  of  Go(X  ;  so  the  Spirit  convinces  the  belie ver*s  soul,  that 
it  is  all  fulfilled  in  Christ  jesitSy  and  all  brought  into  effei^ 
and  applied  to  salvation  by  bis  oivn  quickening  power,  in  a 
manner,  of  which,  though  a  cnrnal  (and  in  other  rcspc6\s  sen- 
sible) mind  may  consider  the  words  and  their  grammatical 
constru6lion,  no  carnal  mind  can  form  a  iri'C  because  jio:  ex- 
ptvimcjit^l^  conception.  J  And  this-  some  of  the  most  able  and 
sensible   nven   have    confessed   of  th.cir  own  capacities,  after 

their  conversion  by  the  grace  of  God  :• Men,   who  could 

not  easily  have  been  deceived  themselves  m  sueh  a  matter, 
and  Vv'ho  could  have  no  interest  to^  combine  in  the  same  testi- 
mony, from  age  to  age,  for  the  deception  of  others  ; Men-, 

who  confirmed  by  their  lates-t  breath  the  principles  and  doc- 
trines, which  th*:y  had  maintained,  and  who  lovi^d  not  even 
their  lives^  nor  counted  them  dcar^  so  that  they  might  K'^i'nncss- 
this  gcod^  this  important  confessions 

From  the  whole  it  seems  to  appear  with  how  great  propri- 
ety, God  is  called  by  the  name  of  la^  ;  how,  with  the  sam.e 
propriety,  the  Boly  Spirii^  as  God,  is  so  entitled  ;  and  liow,  Yct 

X  Bishop  Stillingfieet,  in  his  Qr'gines  Sacras,  has  quoted  the  tran-s- 
hition  of  a  sentiment  from.  Dante  the  Italian  poet,  which,  is  very  ap- 
plicable to  this  point. 

larga  ptavia 

Spiritus  san6ii,  qux  est  diftusa 
Super  veteres  ?y  super  novas  niembranas, 
r.st  syllogismus  Ule  qui  earn  mihi  conclusit 
Adeo  acute,  ut  ])rsK  ilia  demonstratione 
Omnis  demonstratio  alia  mihi  videatur  obtusa- 

Which  may  be  thus  rendered  ; 

"  God's  Holy  Spirit  hath  so  amply  fill'd 

With  gracious  wisdom  all  the  word  rcveal'dy 

That  this  alone  an  argument  appears, 

And  to  my  soul  such  demonstration  bear?, 

As  makes  all  reasonings,  which  the  mind  can  framei 

Seem  shadows  of  the  truth,  or  flat  and  la'.ne." 


L         A         \V.  zij 

eommunlon  with  God  and  l":..^iii::5  aftci  him,  every  helicvcr 
is  ;  i\  ilc;j,cd  io  pray,  Opdii  tl)o.(  nunc  eyL\S^  and  i  shall  bcbcU 
"VJ'jt  Jjrful  tbin^s  out  of  tuy  la-iv:  O  bow  I  hvc  thy  la^jj^  it  is  tny 
vw  J'- union  all  the  day  ;  and  unless  it  bad  been  /.tv  drli^rbt^ I 
should  ba-oc  perished  iii  my  trouble.  1  bcrce  longed  for  tby  tal- 
vatiGn^-and  tby  lu'Hf  Js  my  Jtiiirbt.  Grant  me  -tbv  Lnu  gracious- 
ly ^'  How  i^K'et  are  tby  'ivtrds  lo  my  taste ^  yca^  ^-vcciUr  iba:: 
boney  to  my  month. 

This  living  ia^v  in  ih^  heart  is  the  death  of  all  legality.,  ov 
what  is  LisLiiiliy  cal'cdhy  tiiut  nar.ic.  It  leads  a  inaii  to  ChriEt, 
a^nd  to  Christ  alone.  It  strips  him  of  himself,  lowers,  the  pride 
«f^th.e  -flesh,  and  all  corfidcr.ce  in  ibc  fiesh  :  For  this  Spirit 
testifies  of  Chrisiin  tl^c  sinner,  and  siiovvs  to  the  sinner  his 
need  of  Christ.  He  opens  his  understandini;  to  know  and  re- 
gard what  the  Seriptures  say  of  Jesus.,  and  concerning  the 
means,  the  proaiises,  the  hope,  ihe  joy,  the  ussurancii  t>f  sal- 
yation  ;  and  then  applies  all  these  tb.inp;5  lo  the  coui,  and 
makes  a  glorious  feast  within.  In  this  aCl,  the  convinced  sir*- 
Tier,  s-o  far  from  depending  upon  selfrigbteousncss^  sea  it  to 
be  much  ratlier  unrighteousness^  a^d  therefore  cannot  trus't 
to  what  he  must  look  upon  as  sin.,  for  any  part  of  liis  salva- 
tion.— He  sees  too  much  ianpurity  in  himself,  and  in  every 
thing  he  is  capable  of  doing,  and.beliolds  too  much  of  -t lie  per- 
fection o£  God,  to  imagine  any  of  h.is  performances  caK  be  aCt 
ceptable  without  his  Redeemer.  And  though  he  knovrs  tliere 
is  z  rei'jard^  yet  h<i  hears  abo  that  it  is  a  reward ot  grace; 
and  though  men  are  saved  according  to  their  -joO'rk':  he  is  di- 
vinely taught,  tliat  it  is  not  according  to  the  vierit  of  their 
works.  He  reaas  in  the  book  of  God,  and  he  feels  by  tlie 
grace  of  God^  that  his  works  cannot  merit  in  any  sense,  and 
that  grace  itseli',  by  which  h.^  works  and  uclights  to  work,  is 
not  given  him  to  merit  by  and  so  desers  e  of  God,  but  to  ij\  u 
by  and  so  receive  from  God.  The  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life 
dolh  not  send  him  to  the  law  of  woikh,but  to  the  law-fiii-iiMer, 
for  meritorious  righteousness,  iind  then  enables  him,  accor- 
ding to  measure,  to  love  and  to  do  (however  im|>crfeClly;  an 
evangelical  jighteousne*s,  in  proof  of  his  interctt  in  tiie  o- 
ther.  He  aims  to  fcllov/  Christ,  but  not  to  supplant  him.  In- 
stead of  so  ignorant  a  ^ond-u6l,  which  the  Pharisees  and  their 
fucctssors  (iearticd  as  they  may  be  in  other  tilings)  iiniform- 
ly  patronizfi ;  the  believer'liicc'to  Je«us  Christ,  in  the  power 
of  his  HoJy  S^j-irii,  and  cries  with  the  palmist;  Aly  mouth 
shall  she'ivfor:h  tby  rirbteousness  and  thy  :ahalion  nil  il^  day; 
for  IJinovj  not  the  numbers  thereof.  I  wt'.l go,  (not  in  my  *«u'a 
stremrihfor  thatis  vieaksess,  but}*/«  the  s'rengih  of  the  Lord 
GonT  1  ^nll  make  mention  (not  uf  my  ov-n  righteousness,  for 
alas',  that  is  mere  sin  and  defilement,  but)  u:  th\  r/ghresu^- 
}^ejs,.even  of  thine  (y-:L\\  Pz.  Ixxi.  15,  i-- 


«4  LAW. 

As  this  hiK^  of  the  Spirit  of  life  is  the  death  of  all  self-right- 
eousness, which  is  sin  in  its  most  inviting  form,  and  whicli 
often  looks   so  much   like  the  innocence  of  angels,  as  to  be 
mistaken  for  it  ;  so  is  he  the  utter  death,  and  the  most  deter- 
mined foe,  of  all  barefaced  ungodliness   and  iniquity.     If  he 
cannot  endure  sin  in  the  specious  guise  of  holiness,  and  set 
ofl'with  painted  beauties  ;  surely,  he  utterly  loaths  and  abhors 
it  in  its  open  deformity,  or  in  that  audacious  hue  with  which 
it  stalks  abroad  in  the  world.     This  Spirit  teaches  his  people 
also  to  hate  sin  in  their  very  thoughts,  and  to  fight  against  its 
power,  not  only  without  them,  but  within  them;   to  follow  it 
with  a  drawn   sworcl  (the  word  of  Godj)   and  to  give   it  no 
quarter  wherever  they  can  fasten   upon    it.     And   the  heart 
which  doth  not  this,  in  the  strength  of  grace  ;  but  which  can 
indulge  inward  sins,  the  sins  of  the  thought,  of  the  passions, 
and  of  the  mind,  with  complacency  ;  may  have  the  greatest 
reason  to  examine  itself,  whether  it  be  in  the  faith  or  not. 
Certainly,  if  this  be  formed  into  any  thing  like  a  habit,  the 
person  is  without  one  great  and  indispensable  evidence  of  the 
Spirit  of  Christ   within   him  :   For  he,  who  is  a  disccrner  of 
the  thoughts^   hath  declared  by  his  apostle,  that  sin  shall  not 
have  dominion  over  his  people,  but  that  the  thougbtSy  and  e've- 
ry  thought  as  far  as  possible,  are  to  be  brought  into  captivity 
to  the  obedience  of  Christ,     The  sincere  Christian  is  grieved 
at  his  imperfe6lions,  and  certainly  can  never  delight  in  them. 

The  vi6lory,  which  this  LAW  of  the  Lord  gains  for  the 
believer  over  these  two  evil  principles  of  self-righteousness- 
and  sin,  both  clears  his  way  for,  and  adds  strength  to  enjoy 
the  triumph  of  holiness.  This  almighty  LAW  works  holi- 
ness in  him  by  uniting  him  to  Christ,  as  the  great  head  of  in- 
fluence, through  whom  all  his  san6lification  must  proceed  : 
And  this  was  typified  by  the  sacred  oil,  which  was  poured  up- 
on Aaron's  head,  and  which  from  the  head  ran  down  to  the 
skirts  of  his  cloathing.  The  unction  from  the  Spirit  is  all- 
through  the  head,  from  whom  it  descends  to  the  meanest  of 
his  members.  Christians  have  no  consecr;ition  or  separation 
to  God  from  the  world  and  sin,  but  in  this  way;  and  they  en- 
joy all  real  and  vital  holiness  with  its  power,  and  the  several 
and  paiticular  a(Sis  of  that  power,  only  by  this  great  mean. 
It  is  as  much  beyond  a  poor  helpless  sii-ner,  for  such  tl-.e 
strongest  believer  upon  earth  is  in  himself  (^nd  the  strongest 
believer  is  the  most  sensible  of  his  weakness,)  to  perform  any 
a£l  in  God's  sight  intrinsically  holy  by  his  own  strength  ;  as 
it  is  for  htm,  bv  the  same  strength,  to  wrest  tlie  earth  from 
its  orbit,  or  to  pluck  the  sun  from  the  sky.  Now,  what  is 
the  cfi'e6t  of  this  knowledge  in  his  soul  ?  And  what  doth  the 
consciousncES  of  all  this  infirmity  produce  in  liim  ? — Not  la- 
ziness,  or  inadlion  ;  not   despair   of  doing  good,    nor  ^'et  of 


LAW.  ,,5 

pleas'mg  God  by  attempting  it  ;  but  a  firm  and  more  entire 
reliance  upon  this  all-quickening  Law,  that  He,  by  hi*  ener- 
gy, may  <iU(J/-i  in  him  both  to  ivill  a7id  to  do.  In  this  way,  like 
the  apostle,  he  finds,  that  'wbcn  be  is  '■Mcak^  tbe.i  bcis  strony  ; 
that  is,  when  he  is  most  sensible  of  his  naturid  weakness  ho 
lays  the  faster  hold  by  fuith  upon  this  spiritual  helper,  who 
Is  not  only  strong,  but  strcugtb  itself,  and  even  everlasting 
strength.  And  in  this  mode  too  lie  perceives  his  experience 
to  be  parallel  with  the  apostle's,  I  am  do  all  tbings  through 
Christ  'wbich  stretigtheneth  me  : — through  Christ,  because  the 
Spirit  (as  was  before  observed)  works  ail  in  the  believer 
through  his  divine  Head  and  Saviour,  which  is  another  proof 
to  hi?}!^  and  upon  fact  too,  that  there  subsists  an  eternal  and 
inseparable  union  between  the  divine  persons,  and  that  his 
own  enjoyment  of  communion  with  one,  is  the  enjoyment  of 
communion  with  the  other  tivo^  rendering  him  a  worshipper 
"  of  one  God  in  Trinity,  and  of  the  Trinity  in  Unity;  nei- 
ther confounding  the  persons  (v,^ith  the  Sabellians^  &c.)  nor 
(with  the  Arians,  £;c.j  dividing  the  substance. 

Thus,  believer,  art  thou  privileged  to  consider^  and  apply 
to  the  GREAT  and  GLORIOUS  LAW,  of  which  we  ha\^ 
been  treating.  In  him  all  manifestative  or  revealed  laws 
concentrate,  and  from  iriii  alone  did  they  proceed.  They 
were  all  given  to  lead  his  people  into  a  right  way,  all  calcu- 
lated according  to  their  state  and  condition,  all  designed  to 
introduce  them  to  holiness  and  heaven.  Rightly  understood, 
the  several  branches  are  seen  perfectly  to  coalesce  ;  the  mo- 
ral, the  ceremonial,  and  tl^e  evangelical,  forming  one  great 
and  beautiful  whole.  They  extend,  like  radii  or  ra}s  to  the 
different  points  of  a  vast  circumference  ;  but,  as  they  issued 
from  one  center,  they  all  unite  in  the  same.  Like  the  seve- 
ral parts  of  a  mighty  arch,  they  give  reciprocal  aid  to  each 
other,  constitute  one  grand  design,  and  perform  om  common 
end.  The  moral  h'u;  curses  indeed,  but,  in  Christ,  it  only 
curses  to  bless  ;  by  sliev/ing  the  si:iner  to  hiu^.self,  and  by 
driving  him  out  of  himself  to  his  Redeemer  for  refuge.  The 
ceremonial  la'vo^  with  pointed  and  most  expressive  emblems, 
shews  bo'vo  this  refuge  and  salvation  are  to  be  efieCied,  and 
leads  the  faith  of  believers  to  Jesus  the  sum  a:id  substance 
of  all  its  speaking  and  lively  shadows.*     Tl:e  evangelic  la'j:^ 

*  Abcrbanel  the  famous  Rabbi  could  call  the  apar^ttus  of  the  ^t-'- 
isli  ceremonial  "  a  book  of  the  most  sublime  wisdom,  to  tlje  glori- 
ous substance  of  which  all  tliose  rites  refer."  Nor  ib  ihf  re  any  \^on- 
der  in  this  case,  since  we  are  expressly  infornied,  (1  Chron.  xxviii. 
12.)  that  David  kad  the  patter::^  the  model,  the  re\cUition,  h  tkc 
Spirit,  concerrung  these  things,  and  that  he  was  made  to  under- 
stand them  (v.  19.1  by  the  hand  or  Spirit  of  the  Lord  upcn  him,  2 
Kings  ill.  15.  See  V/iTz.JigvLt.l  lii.  c.  10. 


%x6  LA        W. 

(if  such  it  may  be  culled;  iz  the  consummation  of  the  other 
two,  aiii  recoids,  that  ali  the  statutes  of  external  riics,  all 
ih^  pr€ccpts^^\\\z\\  J-enotcd  God's  presence,  all  the  tastirnQ- 
nics  which  shewed  th.e  coining  of  the  Messiah^  all  the  judg- 
lui^nts  or  decrees  of  God  concerning  him  and  his  people,  all  the 
commandrn'^nts  or  g:::eral  duties^  all  the  luord  j'cvealed  whe- 
ther of  Christ  or  from  Christ,  and,  in  shorty  all  the  mind  and 
w/i'I  of  God  comprehended  under  the  notion  of  rule  and  law  ; 
were  one  grand  inliux  from  this  Holy  Spirit  of  truth,  in 
conjun6lion  wich  the  Father  and  Son  ;  were  designed  to 
signify  their  respective  offices  of  grace  ;  and  do  now,  as  they 
have  ever  *}.oi\Q^  lead  up  the  hearts  of  his  faithful  people  to 
■communion  v/ith  iiim  in  those  oiiices ;  the  end  of  all  which 
is  glory  to  God  and  life  everiastip.g  to  them. 

Dear  Christian  I  what  is  here  before  thine  eyes  ?— Canst 
thou  view  thyself  an)'  longer  that  despicable  worm,  which 
sin  hath  rendered  thee,  or  which  the  miseries  and  infirmities 
of  thy  nature  seem  to  proclaim  ?  Can  all  this  expence  of  sal- 
vation be  laid  out  for  nobody^  or  nothing  i  or  for  tbcc^  if  thou 
wert  considered  by  thy  God,  as  v.ot  '{:oortb  the  saving  \  Did 
Christ  die  for  a  wretch,  a  miserable  apostate,  and  a  slave,  on- 
ly to  leave  him  in  the  same  condition,  in  which  he  was  found? 
Doth  He  set  no  higher  value  upon  thee,  after  thou  hast  cost 
him  so  many  cares,  and  such  reiterated  sufferings,  than  to 
leave  thee  to  thyself;  or  to  permit  thee  to  sink  into  original 
nothing;  or  to  perish  into  endless  misery,  which  is  worse 
than  that  nothing?  Is  it  possible  for  thee  to  believe  all  this 
concerning  «6/;/7,  and  concerning  that  loving  Spirit^  which  as  a 
living  hivv^,  thee,  led  to  this  Jesus  for  his  promised  salvLition? 
— O  tbiC  depth  of  unbelief  ;  that  bitterest  root  of  sin  1  prone 
to  credit  anything  but  the  truth,  unbelief  would  inspire  thee 
to  contradict  every  result  of  God's  eternal  counsel,  and  to 
question  the  reality,  certainty  and  wisdom  of  his  everlasting 
covenant,  which  (being  such)  can  never  be  brokei].  But 
^'  Th'ju  art  a  wcr;;z,'" — Well,  be  it  so  :  Y^l/ddr  noty'worm 
Jacob:  I  will  velp  tl?ee^  saitb  Jehovah.  Is.  xli.  io. — 14. — 
}]ut  "  Thou  art  a  sinner  /"  Hearken  again  ;  Come  now,  and 
Ul  us  reason  together ^  sai:h  Jhhovau,  toougb your  sins  be  as 
icarli'ty  they  shall  be  as  white  as  snow,  though  thty  be  red  like 
crimson^  they  shall  be  as  wool.  Is.  i.  18.  Oniy  Come  ! — But 
*'  Tliou  art  a  baeksllder  /" — Perhaps,  a  very  great  one;  but 
ree  if  thou  art,  or  ever  canst  be  greater  than  those,  to  wliom 
these  words  are  addressed  ;  Ueturn  thou  backsliding  Israel, 
taith  Jehovah,  and  I  will  not  cause  mine  anger  to  fall  uponyou; 
for  I  am  merciful^  saith  Jlhovah  ;  I  will  not  keep  anger  for 
ever.  Jer.  iii.  read  the  v/hole  ch.ipter. — But  "  these  v.'cre  Is- 
raelites  (it  may  be  ur^ed)  and  thou  art  a  Gentile  .'" — God  d  )th 
not  ston  here  ;  for  thus  saith  the  Addkai  J^movSHj  B:h7l.l  / 


LAW.  ai^ 

tr///  lift  vp  vu7ie  hand  to  tbe  Gi  ntiles,  and  set  vp  my  stayidiiid 
to  thi'  people,  Whcrefoic  r  That  the  Gkntii.ks  J^if^ht  rrlorijy 
God  for  his  mercy.  There  is  vo  dijferetuc  /ctwfcn  Jc'iv  cr 
Greek  (or  Gentile,) /cr  the  sajiic  Lord  over  a//  is  rich  ujitoull 
that  call  upon  him.  O  tliat  this  Sj/irit  iiiny  (juickcii  ihcBe 
words  to  thy  soul,  that  tlie  power  of  uiiljclief,  tliat  pi  iiHiii;il 
sinew  of  all  other  sin  and  corruption,  may  be  weakened  wilhin 
thee  !  Learn  to  concidcr  unbelief,  as  a  most  heir.ous  treason  a- 
gair.st  the  trutli  of  (jod,  and  a  most  in»pudent  ])iesuu>j)tion 
(with  all  its  afFeCted  modesty)  against  the  omnipotence  of  (iod; 
and  then  pray  against  it  in  this  view  :  Like  the  devil  himself, 
its  abettor,  thus  resisted,  it  sliall  be  put  under  tl^y  feet,  ii  it 
rise  up  again  and  harrar.s,  do  not  trifle  with  it  in  thy  own 
ctrcngih  nor  hold  parley  for  a  minute:  J3ucklcon  thy  Christian 
armour,  and  fall  on  with  the  srcord  nf  the  Spirit.  Gften  one 
blow,  wkh  a  Thus  it  is  Kvrittcn^  shall  bring  the  monster  j^rots- 
trate  to  the  ground.  Reasoning  witlv  sins,  like  coaxing  with 
rebels,  only  tends  to  give  them  confidence,  and  to  make  them 
tenfold  more  rebellious. 

And  O  what  a  privilege,  thou  more  confirmed  Cliristian^ 
nrt  thou  entitled  to  enjoy!  This  great  //V/V;,p- Law,  who 
reigns  in  heaven,  descends  to  reign  and  dwell  within  thy 
breast.  lie  is  thy  J^aw  :  And  thou  desirest  his  dominion  (o:' 
evermore.  He  is  also  the  Latv  of  Lovct  and  brings  peace,, 
joy,  and  riglitcousness  to  thv  troubled  mind.  Wiieii  lie  ap- 
pears, sorrow  dies  away.  His  absence,  or  the  sense  of  his 
absence,  is  tiie  presence  of  misery,  and  the  occasion  of  all 
evil.  *^  O  for  his  continual,  his  more  abiding  presence  1" — 
is  thy  daily  cry  :  And  thou  shalt  not  cry  in  vain.  Ilemen^bcr, 
He  is  the  laii.'  of  faith  for  thee  to  trust  in  and  to  work  by,  a 
spiritual  laiv^  to  suit  his  doctrine  to  thy  spiritual  ignorance,* 
and  the  law  of  the  Spirit  oj  Life  to  bring  thee  from  the  death 
of  sin  to  life  everlasting.  'J'his  v/as  one  great  end,  v/hy  he 
would  be  known  as  the  law  of  life,  and  wJiy  lie  revcalea  all 
other  laws  to  erring  man  :  And  this  objcdl  and  purpos:;  can 
never  be  lost  by  him,  either  tlirough  v/ant  of  wisJ.om,  powcr^ 
or  love  ;  for  these  attributes  are  all  spirit  and  life  in  him.  As 
Christ  is  the  Lord  thy  ri^hteousriess,  sj  the  Spirit  is  the  7,5/ a 
shy  /f7iu,  ivritin^  himself  vpon  thy  hearty  and  witnessing  for 
himself  in  tiiy  life;  enabling  thee  to  embrace  Christ  as  thy 
righteousness  for  heaven,  and  exciting  thee  to  bring  forth 
works  of  righteousness  all  the  way  to  lieaven.  How  happy, 
then,  art  thou  privileged  to  be,  in  full  recunilx.-nce  on^  his 
faithfulness  and  truth,  and  upon  those  counsels  of  old  \vh\ch 
sprung  from  hcth.  Did  ever  man  fail,  that  trusted  in  the 
LordP  Search,   and  enquire.     Did  iir.  publish  himself  as  ilie 

»  RsmotoDeo,  c^fk-stijiir  (J-trh:a.or.:  ::\:  crr-^ri'^r^  ^li'-i  sunt.  Lact. 


228  V    O     I     C     E. 

ground  cf  the  unerring  law  and  the  everlasting  covenant,  on 
purpose  to  break  the  one,  and  to  render  the  other  void?  Stop 
and  consider. — Men  may  a6l  foolishly  or  inelFeClualiy,  which 
is  almost  the  same;  but  tby  God  cannot.  Lean,  therefore, 
upon  his  strength ;  and  he  will  bear  thee  o;z,  and  bear  thee 
out^  to  thy  journey's  end:  And,  when  mortality  is  siualhwed 
up  of  lije^  and  thy  corruptible  shall  put  on  incorruption  ;  O 
with  what  joy,  wliat  unutterable  joy,  shalt  thou  enter  the 
mansions  of  the  blest,  and  sina,  with  eternal  liberty,  the 
praises  of   that  perfect  law  of   Lile,  which  shall  fill  them, 

and  fill  thee,  with  his  own  fulness,  without  end! After  a 

little  more  faith  and  patience  thou  shalt  inherit  the  promises^ 
and  possess  those  perfections,  which  thou  canst  not  even 
guess  at  or  conceive  below  :  And  then, — O  then  what  re- 
mains ?  Surely,  nothing,  nothing  but  praise  upon  praise  ;  the 
great,  the  universal,  the  everlasting  Hallelu-Jah  ! 

Come  thou  universal  law, 
And  with  thy  sweet  power  draw 
AH  my  soul  from  Satan's  wiles. 
And  from  sin's  delusive  smiles, 
And  from  what,  devoid  of  thee, 
Only  death  or  hell  can  be  ! 

Then  my  soul,  with  wisdom  fraught^ 
Such  as  thou  hast  ever  taught. 
Shall  to  heighths  of  truth  ^^spire, 
With  no  languid  dull  desire. 
And  with  liberty  shall  rove 
O'er  thy  vast  expanse  of  love. 

Come,  thou  living  Law,  to  me  ; 
Or  translate  my  soul  to  thee  ! 


VOICE. 

BY  the  word  voice  is  generally  understood  that  vibration 
of  the  air,  performed  by  the  mouth  of  man,  which  ex- 
cites the  sensation,  called  ji?zoz<r/,  in  the  auditory  nerves^  of 
his  own  and  of  other  species  of  creatures  about  him.  The 
elastic  nature  of  the  air,  which  returns  a  vast  variety  of  im- 
pressions with  the  utmost  speed  and  exadness  ;  and  the  or- 
gans of  speech,  which,  minute  as  they  arc,  affe6l  so  powerful 


V      o      1      c      !•:.  2  2,^ 

and  fleeting  a  body  to  a  great  and  wide  degree  ;  arc  truly  a- 
stonishing  circumstances  in  tliemselves,  and  might  justly 
raise  astonishment  in  men  at  the  Ch'cator's  wisdom  and  pow- 
er, could  these  operations  be  less  common,  or  more  consider- 
ed, than  they  are.  'Tis  an  old  debate,  that  we  have  noex- 
a6l  idea  of  motion  ;  but  certainly  wc  have  mucli  less  idea  of 
the  rapidity  of  the  motion  of  sound,  v.  hicli,  according  to  the 
experimental  calculations  of  Dr.  Durham,,  passes  at  the  rate 
of  1 142,  feet  in  one  second  of  time.  We  know,  by  cxpcricr.cc, 
that  the  lips,  teeth,  and  tongue,  which  modulate  tlic  sound 
of  our  voice  into  distindl  articulations,  can  no  aooner  perforin 
their  office  ;  than  the  words,  which  are  sounds  articulated, 
arc  at  the  same  instant  in  the  ears  of  those  wc  speak  to.  Our 
voice  is  the  means,  by  which  we  convey  the  ideas  of  our  own 
spirits  to  the  spirits  of  others  ;  and  our  organs  strike  ihe 
spring  of  air,  as  the  only  medium,  in  this  world  of  matter,  F'U' 
the  communion  of  souls,  which  are  inclosed  in  that  matter, 
and  which,  but  for  a  substance  of  this  rarificd  exility,  must  be 
more  locked  up  in  prisons,  than  at  present  we  find  them. 

Thunder,  and  other  agitations  of  the  air,  which  surpass 
the  art  and  power  of  man  to  accomplish,  or  which  are  con- 
fessedly accomplished  by  God  in  the  elementary  world,  are 
usually  called  in  Scripture,  for  that  reason,  the  voice  of  God. 
They  are  vibrations  of,  or  sounds  in  the  air,  and  thus  become 
a  voice  :  And  they  areeffeded  and  ordained  by  the  power  of 
God  alone,  and,  therefore,  are  properly  his  voice. 

But  this  word  Voice,  in  its  application  to  God,  has  a  much 
higher  sense  than  this,  and  is  used  to  express  the  agency  or 
communications  of  his  blessed  Spirit.  He  takes  his  name 
Spirit  from  the  air  we  breathe,  signifying  to  us,  under  that 
emblem,  that  whatever  the  air  is  to  the  respiration,  life,  and 
well-being  of  "-.he  material  v/orld;  He,  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  a 
superior  though  similar  manner,  is  to  the  existence,  enjo}'- 
ment,  and  support  of  the  spiritual  world.  And  as  the  voice 
is  air  moved  or  in  motion,  as  to  natural  things  ;  so  the  Voice 
of  Jehovah  is  the  Spirit  in  m.otion,  with  respedl  to  heavenly 
things.  When,  therefore,  the  Voice  oj  the  Lord  is  said  to  do 
such  and  such  wonders,  as  are  ascribed  to  it  in  the  Bible;  we 
are  to  understand,  that  it  is  the  Lord  the  Spirit  in  ad  and 
exercise,  accomplishing  some  particular  obje6l.  God  uses 
this  mode  of  speaking  according  to  natural  emblems,  in  con- 
descension to  our  capacities  ;  for  had  any  otiicr  mode  of 
speaking  been  used,  with  relation  to  spiritual  concerns,  our 
present   faculties   could   not  have  conceived  th.crn.*      i  hey 

Vol.  n.  F  f 

*  It  is  an  old  and  true  maxim,  ^uicquid  rtnpitur,  rtapttur  secur.- 
dum  modiim  recipientis.  Wc  can  reccirc  nothing  above,  but  only 
according  to  our  capacity  ;  and  as  our  ideas  usually  pass  tbrou^h  ibc 


2SC  V        O        I        C        E. 

cor.ceive  but  tco  liitle  cf  them  even  in  this  way,  and  con^ 
staiitiy  need  superior  aid  for  instruilion  :  liow  then  must  w©, 
have  been  puzzled,  if  even  language  could  have  borne  it ; 
had  God  delivered  his  sublime  truths,  as  th^y  are  in  se^  or  as 
thev  really  exist  in  themselves  ? 

Two  or  three  Scriptures  may  serve  to  shev/  v/ith  what  pro- 
priety, the  No/y  Spirit  is  revealed  under  the  title  of  Voice 
cf  the  Lord. 

At  the  creation  of  the  world,  it  is  revealed,  //3^  Spirit 
€f  God  iiwvc'd  upon  the  face  of  the  'X'aters^  as  an  agent  in  that 
glorious  work.  In  the  xxixth  psalm,  which  celebrates  the 
ur.glity  aiSls  of  the  Voice  of  the  Lord,  we  sliall  find,  that  this 
Voice  KvaSy  or  //,  i4pon  the  waters^  ruling  and  governing  the 
great  depths  of  nature  and  of  grace  ;  and  that  the  same  Voice 
is  no  other  than  Jehovah  himself,  because  it  is  presently  ad- 
ded, bv  vway  of  describing  this  Voice,  that  Jehovah  is  upon 
niaiiy^  or  g-reat^  ijcatcrs.  From  the  comparison  of  these  two 
Scriptures,  it  is  evident,  that  the  Voice  tipon  the  ^-ujaters  in 
the  one  text  is  not  a  mere  sound,  but  that  divine  person  who 
is  called  the  Spirit  of  God  in  the  other  text,  and  both  the 
one  and  the  other  name,  /.  e.  of  Foice  and  Spirit^  refer  ulti- 
mately, as  the  grand  titles  of  the  same  divine  person,  to  Je- 
hovah upon  ibc  "joaters.  The  whole  psalm  is  a  noble  testi- 
Kiony  ccv.cerning  this  Spirit^  under  the  nam.e  of  V^aice  ;  and 
there  is  a  remarkable  interchanging  of  that  title  with  the 
name  Jehovah^  which  is  a  convincing  proof,  that  the  Voice 
i>nd  yebovab  2^1'^  one^  and  consequently,  that  tht' Spirit  li, 
JeLovab  himself;  or  7i  person  in  jebovah,^ 

In  Isaiah  vi.  8.  v/e  read,  that  the  Voice  of  the  Lord said^ 
'wbom  shall  I  send?  proving  \.\\q.  personality  of  that  Voice : 
And  Hub  0  Villi  go  for  US?  declaring  the  plurality  oi  t\\zl  per- 
sonality ^  in  the  Godhead.  l\\  the  next  verse  it  is  added.  And 
ME  saidy  &:c.  If  v/e  turn  to  Acls  xxviii.  :i5,  &c.  we  shall  find, 
that  this  Voice,  mentioned  by  the  prophet,  is,  according  to 
the  arostle,  identically  tlie  Holy  Ghost,  who  spake  by  Isai- 

cb  to  the  fatliers,  sayings    Co  unto  this  people^  &c. Fron> 

these  texts  (and  others  might  be  added)  it  appears.  That  the 
r^j/cf  of  Jehovah  is  the  .V;0/r/f  of  Jehovah,  and  that  the  Spirit 
is  a  person  in  Jehovah  himself. 

God^s  Vcicc,    th.erefore,  is    not  (like    the  voice  of  crea- 

niediurn  of  our  senses,  Cicd  in  his  gracious  visdom  hath  given  his 
revelation  accordingly,  and  raises  up  tlie  mind  through  objects  of 
sense  to  those  things,  at  which  sense  ends  and  laith  begins. 

*  The  Romish  commentators  have  tortured  this  glorious  psalm 
into  a  mere  panegyric  upon  their  seven  sacraments,  but  with  how 
much  absurdity  it  maybe  easily  seen  in  one  of  the  best  of  then?, 
tile  learned  Esiius  upon  the  place. 


V        O        I        C        \\  231 

Vjres)  a  vibratory  motion  only  of  the  air  or  mere  sound,  but 
th^Lt  person  the  divine  Spirit,  who  is  all  iifj,  aclivity,  andoni- 
nipotence.      Accordingly,  it  is  said   of  him,   timt  when  (>  jd 
uttered  bis  Voice,  i.  e,  sent  forth  his  S^jini,  ad  extra,  to  en'.jd 
the  divine  purpose,    tbe  earth   melted ;  it   su'ik  beneath  his 
power  in  a  moment.  Ps.  xlvi.  6.   A^^ain  ;   in  Ps.  Ixviii.  33.  it 
i«  said,    that    God   sendetb  out  bis    Voice,  and  that  a  niryb.y 
Voice;  a  voice  of  power.     This  Spirit  of  pov/cr  concuircd 
in  the  whole  work  of  creation  ;   f-r  v.hcn  (Jjd  said,   or  g^v^ 
forth  his  voice,  Let  tbere  Ik  ligbi  ;   that  Voice  e:ij.i-a  wnu 
was  said,  and  fnlfilled,  outwardly,  God's  inward  u.mi  a:id  d;- 
cree.     When   God  spake  to  the   f:ithers  ;  he  sent  fortu  iii'i 
Voice  or  Spirit   to  them  for  the  revclati.in  of  his   will;  and 
accordin-ly  it  is  said,  that  it  was   the  Holy  Gbost  xs.v^spa^e 
to  them/Hewas  the  Voicw'bothin  them  and  to  the-n.    V\  lici 
theiawwas-ivcn  h^  Moses  ;  it  was    th.   Vo.ci  en  th.  Lord 
who  spake  to  him,  and  gave  instruction  by  him  i  >  tht  people. 
Deut.  iv.  36.   When  the-  Spirit  came  down  at  t.io  day  ot  \  en-^ 
tecost  upon  the   apostles;  they  spake  indeed    th.  words  ot 
God,  but  it  was  the  Voice  or  Spirit  of  Gcd  in  them,  -u;^'9  ga-c: 
them  utterance.     In  a  word,  he  is  the  almiahty  V  oice  ot  tiran- 
der  and  dismay  to  his  adversaries,  breaking  m  pieces  the  ta.U 
est  cedars,  the  loftiest  of  the  creatures  ;  but  a  stui  s:naH  voic: 
to  his  people,    constantly  giving  to  their   ears  in   instrumve 
n^ord,  lb\s  is  tbe  ^j:ay,  v:aik  ^e  in  /;.      He  is  ot   equal  pouxr 
in  both,  though  to  different  ends  ;   in  the  £^;:.-  for  the  terror  ot 
destrudion,  and  in  the  other  for  the  p.acc  of  salvation. 

From  all  this  it  seems  plain,  that  the  voice  ot  G.^,d  is  God 
speaking  by  his  Spirit,  and  that,  therefore,  the  bpirit  hath  ta- 
ken the  name  of  Voice,  in  order  to  dechre  his  swi  tness  1  te, 
and  energv.  It  i.  also  plain,  that  God  hath  used  this  ^^ 
of  voice,  to  convey  further  to  our  minds,  by  natural  effeas 
which  are  constantly  with  us,  such  notices,  as  v.e  ^'^^^^^':' 
conceive,  of  that  sublime  and  supernatural  agency,  w.uch  In. 
Holy  Spirit  is  performing  for  us.  It  becomes  our  duty  and 
ou^^  interest,  to  consider  the  name  and  tiie  sign,  w.tn  trequ;^- 
^v  and  auention,  as  we  would  wish  to  have  the  more  fre- 
ciuently  inour  minds,  the  important  end  signihe^i. 
^  God'^sent  forth  his  Spirit,  who,  together  ^^^^^l^^^;"^ 
vine  nerson'^  made  the  world,  and  whatever  we  can  see  01 
^ewH  ;;  it  and  beyond  it.  He  ^...  ^^^'^S^mI 
,..^.  Oiinipotence  was  in  th.  voic. ;  o.  ^^^^ 
voice    was    omnipotence    itseU.      \.ouU   -^^^   '^^  , 

same  with  him:   And    his  will,   -sdom,  aiU^^ 
employed  by  the  different  persons  in  the  duaic  ^^^^^^ 

for^dis'tina 'ends    are   ^  ^^^^y^^i^t:^:^: ... 


232  VOICE. 

outwardly  from  the  essence  in  the  creation.  When  God  said* 
Let  it  be  done  ;  it  'was  done  as  soon  as  it  was  said,  and  done 
in  and  by  the  saying.  It  would  be  blasphemy  to  affirm,  that 
He  wills  any  thing,  which  doth  not  ensue  ;  or  that  his  voice 
commands,  without  a  consequent  obedience  to  his  command. 
He  said.  Live,  to  beings,  which  had  no  being  till  that  word 
was  pronounced  ;  and,  by  the  voice  of  his  power,  all  the  uni- 
verse of  beings  exist  and  are  maintained.  If  he  withdraw 
himself  they  die,  are  discomposed,  and  turned  again  to  their 
dust  ;  for,  in  him  alone  they  live^  and  move,  and  have  the  conr 
tinuance  of  their  being. 

This  voice  not  only  spake  all  things  into  being,  but  pre- 
serves them  in  the  enjoyment  of  that  i3eing.  The  world  and 
all  the  creatures  are  supported  by  the  same  divine  pov/er 
which  created  them  ;  or  they  could  either  not  subsist  at  all, 
or  must  rush  into  confusion.  This  voice  is  both  in  providence 
and  grace,  and  banishes  the  absurdity  of  mere  chance  into 
chaos,  if  such  a  region  can  be  found.  The  sun,  for  instance, 
doth  not  rise  of  itself  :  God  maketh  the  sun  to  rise,  as  well  as 
the  rain  to  fal]^  Matth.  v.  45.  This  text  "  shews  (said  a 
good  man)  the  continual  concurrence  and  pov/er  of  God  with 
natural  causes.  It  is  not  like  a  clock,  which,  when  it  is  once 
wound  up,  will  go  itself  by  the  weight  of  the  plummets  ;  but 
like  a  pen,  which  writes  not  a  letter  nor  a  tittle,  without  the 
continual  guidance  of  the  writer. ''f 

When  man  fell  from  his  original  re6litude,  he  no  longer 
received  the  voice  of  God  as  at  the  first,  a  voice  of  peace  and 
instrudion  in  which  he  delighted  ;  but,  immediately,  upon 
hearing  the  voice ^  the  very  voice,  of  Jehovah  Alehim,  nualk- 
i^igyX  or  moving,  tia^in  npb/or  the  spirit  of  the  day,  i.  e.  (pro- 
bly)  to  carry  on  that  spiritual  and  natural  life  for  which  the 

I  White's  Uxv^BoXoytoi.  p.  100. 

i-  The  participle  is  yet  stronger  for  the  personality  o{  this  voice 
in  the  original,  being  in  Hithpael,  which  signifies  an  agent  a6ling 
upon  himself;  so  that  the  words  might  have  been  rendered,  Thr 
voice  caused  himself  to  move,  Sec. 

The  idea  of  the  voice's  walking  in  the  cool  of  the  day,  like  a  man 
about  his  garden  in  the  evening  to  avoid  the  heat,  according  to  our 
own  and  some  other  translations  ;  or,  in  the  afiernoon  of  the  daj,s.c- 
cording  to  the  Septuagint  ;  seems  neither  agreeable  to  the  ivords 
or  the  se72sc  of  the  original.  The  purport  of  the  passage  may  be 
conveyed  by  the  follov/ing  paraphrase  ;  "  As  the  wind  passes  over 
the  eiirth  for  the  life  of  the  creatures  upon  it ;  so  the  Spirit  of  God 
moved  through  this  pcrfea  spot,  thence  called  a  garden,  for  the 
life  and  support  of  the  souls,  he  had  placed  in  it.  The  mode  of  this 
motion,  in  the  Spirit  or  in  its  symbol  the  wind,  is  not  to  be  under- 
stood by  us;  though  the  e^cct  of  both  will  be  always  evident  c- 
nough.    Sj- Joh:i  ui.  8.  Ejclei.  xl.  5. 


V         O         I         C         K.  ^,^ 

day  of  this  system  was   created;  both    Adim   and   iiis   v/ifu 
hid  themselves  from  his  presence^  for  they  felt  their  souls  to 
be  more  nailed  of  truth  and  uprightness,   than  their   bodies 
were  of  raiment.     He  heard  the  divine  voice  and  was  afraid 
because  he  found  himgelf  a  sinner,     lie  hid  liimself,   in  tiic 
foolishness  of  sin,  from  an  all-seeing  eye,  to  whom   he   could 
no  longer  look  up  with  confidence  for   prote(j\ion,   favor,  and 
delight.      And  liad  God's   voice  left  him,  as  he  left  the  voice 
of  God ;  he    had    been  undone  forever.     But    this   gracious 
voice  spake  a  promise,  wiiich,  as  God,  he  only  could  make  or 
perform,    and   carried    the  faith    of  it  to  poor  ^rtt/m'j-  heart. 
Thus,  the  first  sinners  became  the  first  believers,  and  gave  a 
lesson  to  their  fallen  offspring,  both  of  the  unavoidable  curse 
of  sin,  and  the  free  salvation  of  grace. 

This  blessed  voice  hath,  in  all  ages  since,  communicated 
the  mind  of  God  to  men.  He  gave  forth  the  precepts  to  pa- 
triarchs, the  law  to  Israelites,  the  gospel  to  all.  He  gave  all 
in  Christ,  and  for  Christ,  who  was  appointed  to  be  the  bead 
of  all  things  to  his  church.  This  voice  came  in  perfe6l  com- 
munion with  the  Father  and  Son,  and  hath  ever  illustrated 
the  transcendent  glory  of  the  three  undivided  persons  in  one 
Godhead. 

When  he  gave  the  precepts  to  patriarchs,  he  gave  with 
those  precepts  the  everlasting  gospel.  Abtl^  Sctb^  Noah^  A- 
braham-)  and  the  rest  of  the  holy  ancients,  believed^  \\-\^faitb^ 
rested  upon  the  truth  of  God,  and  found  him  at  all  times  the 
God  of  truth.  This  mighty  voice  carried  peace,  and  every 
requisite  grace,  into  their  souls.  He  appointed  some  ordi- 
nances to  them,  as  v/itnesses  of  himself;  and  he  witnessed 
for  himself,  in  those  ordinances,  by  his  own  divine  power  to 
their  hearts.  What  lessons  of  grace,  love,  and  promise,  did 
Abraham  receive,  for  instance,  when  he  had  devoted  his  only 
Son  to  God,  under  an  appointed  figure,  which  was  to  sliew 
him,  how  God  had  devoted  Ids  only  Son  for  him.  If  one 
could  have  seen  the  good  old  patriarch's  heart,  in  the  close 
of  this  transaction  upon  the  mtuint  ;  one  might  also  hj\'j  seen, 
with  what  justness  he  is  culled,  the  Faibcr  of  the  faiilful^ 
and  the  friend  of  God, 

When  this  voice  uttered  the  law,  and  enjoined  the  ceremoni- 
al infititutes,  to  the  Jews  ;  he  clothed  the  one  with  powwr, 
to  shev/  men  their  sin  and  departure  from  truth  ;  and  the  o- 
ther  with  grace,  to  declare  his  own  righteousness  and  tlicir 
salvation  by  the  Messiah.  Without  his  ener^^y  in  botli,  both 
were  inefFc6lual ;  and,  th,;rtfoie,  thousands,  wlio  ca;nc  out  of-. 
Egypt  and  had  seen  his  mighiy  acts,  were  afterv/ards  destroy. 
,ed,  because  they  believed  not.  Hjs  mighty  a61s,  and  his  loud- 
est thunders,  carried  no  voice  of  grace  and  liie  to  the  soul, 
J:„u^tby  that  spiiituai  and  almighty  voice,  who  spake  tl.em  alj 


234  vol         C         E. 

into  being.  How  few  of  that  vast  multi'cude  in  the  wilder- 
ness are  recorded  fjr  their  faith  ?  Rather,  almost  the  whole 
multitude  itself,  wtrj  punished  for  unbelief.  The  way  of  life 
and  the  way 'of  dentruclion  had  the  same  limits  then  as  n^vj  ; 
the  one  narro'^v^  for  a  fe'-jc  ;  and  the  other,  broad  foi  the 
many. 

When  this  holy  Voice  spake  by  the  prophets,  his  revela- 
tions came  with  the  power  of  saving  life  to  some,  and  to  others 
with  the  force,  or  savour  of  deatb^  unto  death.  The  hard- 
ness of  man's  heart  by  falit-n  nature  is  shewn,  by  the  constant 
iinintermitted  and  obstinate  resistance,  it  has  at  all  times  made 
to  the  m.iid  of  God,  the  threatenings  of  God,  and  the  wities- 
ses  oi  God.  Fa^ls  and  examples  in  every  age  may  convince 
us,  that  no  power,  but  the  divine,  can  meliorate  tne  obdura- 
cy within,  and  impart  the  tender  ^c-j-Z?  for  the  callous  or  im- 
penetrable stone.  This  voice  gives^  and  ever  gave,  the  hear- 
ing ear^  the  seeing  eye^  and  the  believing  mind:  And,  if  be 
comn^.and  not  the.'-e  blessed  gifts,  men  have  ears  and  bear  not^ 
eyes  and  sec  not^  and  hearts  without  understandings  or  power 
to  believe.     To  prove  this,  is  to  point  to  the  world. 

AVhen  Jesus  spake  as  never  man  spake ^  this  voice  v/as  with 
him,  and  in  him.  God  was  in  Christ,  the  Spirit  was  in 
Christ ;  and,  therefore,  Christ  spake  not  his  own  words,  as 
of  the  Father,  and  of  God.  The  manliood  of  jesus  was  in- 
habited by  the  Son,  and  was  witnessed  to  by  the  Father  and 
the  Spirit,  at  his  baptism  and  at  his  transfiguration  ;  by  all 
which  this  very  manhood  became  the  Son  or  God  with  power, 
and  was  qualified  to  be  the  great  High  Priest  to  mediate  be- 
tween God  and  man.  And  as  the  Spirit  witnessed  for  Jesus  ; 
so  Jesus  witnessed  for  the  Spirit,  as  the  Comforter,  tiie  pro- 
mise of  the  Father,  the  infaliibie  guide  into  all  truth.  When 
Christ  commanded,  this  Spirit,  vv^ent  forth  and  cffeiluated  his 
command.  He  was  the  voice  of  God  in  the  Messiah,  and 
performed,  in  him,  by  him,  and  for  him,  all  the  miracles  v^hich 
men  saw  in  nature,  and  those  v/hirh  only  his  people  feit  in 
grace. 

This  voice  attended  the  a'postles,  gave  them  utterance,  fill- 
ed their  mouths  with  right  words,  and  clothed  those  words 
■with  a  glorious  force.  Ads  iv.  33.  He  spake  in  them,  and 
by  them.  It  is  not  ye  that  speak  (said  Jesus,)  but  the  Spirit 
of  your  Father  'which  speaketh  inyou.  They  did  not  go  forth 
into  the  world,  like  philosophers,  or  like  the  learned  igno- 
rantsofthe  age,  with  the  unmeaning  or  ineificacious  words 
of  man's  wisdom,  but  with  the  words  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
with  power;  that  it  might  be  seen,  that  the  conversion  of 
dinners  is  not  to  be  efi"eded  by  human  arguments  or  artifice, 
nor  the  faith  of  God's  people  by  eloquence  or  n:oral  suasion, 
but  only  by  him,  who  gave  the  ivordj  and  the  company  oj 


V        O         I         C         L,  A3  5 

preachers  to  declare  it.      Wh:it  was  there  in  St.  P^ldr^ s  llrst: 
sermons,   for  instance,  whicli  couKl  create  such  amazing  ef- 
tecjts  in  clianging  and  piercing  licarts,  as  we  lind  they  did  in 
the  conversion  oF  three  thousand  souls   at  oni  time,  and   of 
live  thousand  at  another?   Tiicy  were  plain,  unstudied,  and 
unadorned  narrations  of  some  simple  matters  of  fad,  with  an 
obvious  inference  or  two,  which  arose   from  them.     The  a- 
postle  had  no  skill  to  fence  with  words,  and  desired  none.    % 
Peter  i.  i6.     He  knew  his  own  strength  to  be  notliing,  and 
that  all  good  consequences  must  procjv.-d  from  a  much  higher 
cause.      iN[or  was  it  in  him  to  give  the   Holy  GIios*:   to  whom 
he  would,  as  Simon  Magus  thought,  and  as  sotne  besides  him 
liave  seemed  to  think  ;  .but  it  depended  entirely  upon  the  so- 
vereign power  of  the  voice  by  whom  he  spake,  to  l)estow  the 
life  and  grace  of  the  gospel,  and,  in   some   sad  instances,   to 
seal  up  to  death  and  condemnation  by  the  law.    Ads  xi.  17. 
v.    I.  xxviii.  27.      All  the  apostles   acknowledged  this   grand 
truth  ;   and  so,  more    or  less,  have   all  the  witnesses  for  God 
in  every  age  of  the  worhl. 

This  Voice  of  majtsty  accompanies  his  own  revealed  and 
written  word,  even  now.     When  his  ministers  preach  it  ,  tlic 
blessing  is  imparted  by  him,  and  doth  not  stand  upon  the  pro- 
priety, the  arrangement,  the  elegance,  or  force  of  their  style, 
manner,  or  matter  ;  but  upon  his  own  will  and  adivity.    His 
word  by  them,  not  their  word  by  themselves,  is  to  be  consi- 
dered by  the  people  ;   and,  as  b/is  v/crd,  it  is  conveyed  by  him- 
self to  the  hearts  of  the    people.      He  honors  his    ministers, 
while  they  honor  him  ;   and    though   he  could  convert   souls 
without  their  instrumentality,  yet  he    very  rarely  operates 
but  by  it.  The  eunuch  might  have  been  taught  by  his  grace  to 
understand  his  word  without  PhUili  ;  but  he  so  regard- 1  the 
means  of  his  ov>fn  appointment,  that  he  rather  chose  to  send 
Philip  a  journev  into  the  desert.     The  eunuch   might   have 
had  the   help  of  the  apostles   at    Jcriisahm  ;  but   the  Spirit 
suffered  him  to  depart  in  oruer  to  shew,  tlnit  he  would  work 
by  whatever  means   he    pleased,  v/nliout  any  confinement  of 
time  or  place.     The  angel  likcv^ise  might  hive  taught  Corn:- 
lilts  the  same  truths  with  St.  Pdcr  ;  but  the  Spiiic  cl.cse  to 
declare,  in  a  contrary  appointment,  that  a  feeble  reed,  as  the 
ppostle  was  in   himself,  trembling  at  every  wind  and  once  at 
the  mean  breath  of  a  scrvant-u'.aid,  should  by  this  superadded 
strength  work  such  miiacles  in  men's  souls,  as  all  the  angels 
in   heaven  united  could  not  perform.      Those  blcsse.i  saints 
vvould  say  aioud,  if  permitted,  'T's  not  in  us  :   And,^  if  n  >t  in 
them,  surely  not  in  the  children  of  men,  nor  in  :.;l  tlie  mir.i3- 
ters  of  God.     '  r  is  true  j   God  hutb  in  cliw  times  manifested  his 
-jcord  through  preaching  ;  but  Ms  equally  true,  thul  no:ie  c:m 
preach  K\\:kl  word  except  they  he  jw';z;,  nor  impart  succcss^ii 


23<^  V        O        I        C        E. 

preaching,  by  themselves.  They  might  as  well  take  a  hclt^ 
as  the  Romish  priests  do  to  scare  away  the  devil,  and  ring  it 
in  the  pulpit  to  bring  up  the  dead  ;  as  expe6l  the  salvation  of 
men  should  arise  from  their  fleeting  breath.  'Tis  possible  for 
them  (as,  with  too  many,  it  is  to  be  feared  is  the  case)  to  tin- 
kle like  a  cymbal,  and  afford  a  pretty  tune  ;  and  'tis  equally 
})cssible,  for  people  to  go  away  vastly  delighted,  with  the  jin^ 
gle  of  their  sound  or  the  cadence  of  their  words  :  But  follow 
them  home,  examine  the  influence  of  all  upon  their  lives,  and 
tliere  it  will  be  perceived,  whether  or  not  the  sense  expired 
with  the  sound,  and  whether  they  only  remember  (what  peo- 
ple remember  of  oratorios)  that  it  was  all  very  fine,  elegant, 
and  charming.  There  is  a  deal  of  this  sort  of  diversion  in 
modern  profession  j  and  two  many  ;ippear  to  estimate  the 
state  of  their  souls,  only  by  the  quantity  of  religious  amuse- 
ment, v/hich  they  can  procure  for  them.  But,  with  rcspe6l 
to  the  life  of  God,  or  any  experimental  knowledge  of  his- 
word  ;  they  know  no  more  of  it,  upon  examination,  than  their 
horses  ;  nay  will  do,  what  their  horses  cannot,  revile  and 
blaspheme  it.  This  is  no  novel,  though  plain  comparison  : 
it  is  as  old  at  least  as  Isaiah^  who  gives  it  even  in  blunter 
terms.   Is.  i.  3. 

As  it  would  be  a  wonder  indeed,  if  men  by  their  voice 
could  raise  the  deed  in  sin  ;  so  the  wonder  ceases,  when  we 
find  that  it  is  the  Voice  of  God,  which  causeth  sinners  to  a- 
rise,  and  walk,  and  live.  This  Voice,  being  the  power  of  the 
Godhead  carried  forth  into  external  a6\,  is  an  omnipotent  or 
irresistable  Voice.  He  no  sooner  reached  the  auditory  nerves 
oi  Lazarus  in  the  grave,  and  He  reached  them  (for  surpassing 
the  velocity  of  material  sound)  in  less  than  a  moment,  than 
those  nerves  felt  and  heard  in  that  individual  instant,  though 
but,  in  the  moment  before,  they  were  a61ually  dead.  He  was 
not  the  mere  sound  of  the  words.  Come  forth  ;  but  the  vivid 
life  and  energy,  under  the  emblem  or  medium  of  that  sound. 
In  like  manner,  his  written  word,  though  given  from  him  and 
agreeable  to  his  will,  is  not  himself^  as  some  heretics  have 
imagined;  but  plain  letters  and  symbols  of  sound,  expressing 
sacred  truths,  which  then  have  their  force,  when  this  Holy 
Spirit  breathes  into  them,  carries  them  like  a  shaft  into  a  sin- 
ner's heart,  and  clothes  them  with  his  living  power.  A  man 
iTiigiit  read  the  Bible  from  morning  to  night,  and  from  Janua- 
ry to  December;  but,  unless  this  Spirit  enlighten  it,  be  the 
v.VAW  as  learned  in  other  respe6'ts  as  he  may,  it  v/ill  be  a  hook 
seuhd^  and,  in  its  most  important  mitters,  really  unintelligi- 
ble to  him.  It  hath  been  so  to  learned  Rabbles,  as  well  an- 
cient as  moJern,  in  v/hose  tongue  it  was  written,  and  who 
have  liad  some  outward  helps,  which  the  present  learned  a- 
mon":  the  Gentiles  ha\  c  not.     And  v/hat  was  the  gospel  to 


V      a      I      c      }:.  237 

them  ?  Nothing  but  a  mere  stumblhig-llcck  ;  :.!!  wood,  and 
nothing  good.  To  the  Iciirncd  Grvcks^  wl^o  were  the  most 
acute,  ingenious,  and  sclentllic  of  all  men,  it  was  aliogedvjr 
Jo  oil  sine  ss^  or  (in  polished  modern  plirase)  '*  c?.r:L,  tntlnisi- 
asm,  nonsense."  They  sagaciously  thought,  for  instance,  that 
the  rcstirrt'Ciion^  which  St.  Pazil  pttachcJ,  was  {W\:t  [tar  and 
paleness  among  the  Rcnans  )  a  new  or  strange  God;  and  a-; 
to  the  doctrine  of  a  crucified  Saviour,  they  scouted  it  as  the 
inost  ridiculous  babbling  or  suipidiiy.  it  was,  and  is-,  an  iUi- 
dsn  'ii'isdom^  whlcii,  as  man  is  by  nature  too  blind  10  s^e  it, 
and  yet  too  conceited  to  own  this  blindness,  he  |)rofouiidIy 
calls  by  the  name  o^J'ally,  that  he  may  run  it  down,  if  j)os&i- 
bie,  by  an  ill  name,  lie  succeeds  in  this  attcir.pt,  pcihaps, 
in  the  present  world  ;  but  loses  himself  by  it,  for  ihe  woild 
to  come. 

To  the  people  of  God  in  all  ages  and  nations,  this  Vdce 
of  God  is  full  of  life  and  energy.  He  calls  ihem  from  the 
night  of  nature  and  the  death  of  sin  :  And  his  calling  is  ef- 
j'cctiial  for  this  end.  He  emits,  not  only  worJ,  but  power  in 
the  word,  w.hich  ths  dead  hear  and  fcei,  and,  by  feeling  and 
hearing  it,  lis'e.  This  Voice,  imparting  life,  colle;^"l5  all  the 
heirs  of  life,  and  gathers  them  into  one,  under  one  head, 
Christ  Jesus.  They  are  the  called  according  to  bis  purpose^ 
Hence  they  derive  their  general  name  of  bnp  and  f.<>tA5^(r/:»,  in 
the  Old  and  Nev/  Testaments;  i.e.  the  Cnuucir,  which 
consists  of  "  the  whole  company  o't'  faith.ful  people,"  wlio 
are  called  togetbcr  in  one  body^  by  this  gloiious  V^ojcc.  'llie 
Spirit  called,  the  Spirit. gathered  them  ;d!,  and  will  do  co^ 
till  the  number  of  those  be  complete,  ivbose  names  arc  ^^riiten 
in  heaven.  This  shews,  that  the  calling  of  God,  originating 
both  as  to  purpose  and  exercise  in  himself,  is  both  nnfrullra-' 
ble  and  v:itbout  repentance  ;  and  that  the  salvation  of  the 
r^//6Y/ depends  upon  the  effectual  ivorking  of  bis  power,  and 
not  their  own. 

As  this  Voice  speaks  life  into  the  people' of  CI. rist  ;  so  it 
bears  contiiiiral  wimess  for  him  in  their  hearts  aiul  livLS.  Ho 
keeps  their  hearts,  that  they  might  not  fail:  He  orders  tlieir 
lives,  that  the?  may  not  depart  from  him  ;  and  he  gives  them 
all  tlte  holiness  they  have.  This  voice  explains  iu^^ivortb  of 
Ciirist  in  all  tilings,  draws  ih.x  cjjections  nfter  him,  lceep< 
J'aitb  alive  and  ailive  upon  him,  j-reservts  froir.  v^Tow^ap- 
^prebensions  of  him,  discovers  more  and  more  of  his  p-Ziry,  an.* 
finally  brings  the  soul  to  evcriastlng  cuw/zn/.v/o;*  wiili  ^•'"•"' 

This  blessed  voice  teaches  the  children  of  (i«>d  to  cry,  M- 
bay  Father:  He  gives  them  utterance,  and  adds  pov.'.?r  to  the 
sounds  This  voice  speaks  in  tbem,  when  they  p:  "V  and  prauc  ; 
not  in  the  clatter  of  mere  words,  hui  in  the  deep  ir.d  feivent 

Vol.  n.  C  g 


-  Jevotio!:^'  or  their  i;ouls.  He  also  speaks^/br  ?i>r#i  ber«?rc  £U3- 
throne  ;  and  is  tht-ir  acivoccvte,  in  coniuniUon  v.^iLh  the  Savi* 
our,  in  the  holiest  of  all. 

This  voice  opens  to  them  the  mvsterics  of  the  kingdom, 
and  enables  th'jir  souls  to  rejoice  in  the  glories  of  the  world 
above."  He  s[?eaks  iinderL'tanding  to  their  minds,  affoniing 
them  a  ripju  conception  and  a  true  expericiice  of  his  holy 
■  v/ord.  'lh\s  word,  without  Him,  ii  a  lock  witjiout  a  key  ;  an 
ijnintelii;\ib!e  cyphering  for  the  most  part,  which  thcunar* 
sisttd  wit  of  man  can  never  exphiin.'^^*  He  yields  the  rich 
rense^  rather  tlian  the  nicety  of  words,  to  the  scul ;  and  ena- 
bles it,  not  only  to  read  a  miked  account,  but  to  taste  the 
sweet  savour  of  eternal  life  revealed  in  his  book.  Nor  does 
he  teach  them  to  hrpose  3l  sense,  or  to  make  allegories^  for  the 
word  is  fixed  and  the  prophecy  sealed  ;  but  explains  the 
Ben.se  already  laid  down,  and  the  allegories  before  establish- 
ed, to  their  beiie\ing  riiinds.  Hence^  they  see  an  analogy  in. 
th.e  Book  of  Gcd,  ^vliieh  others  do  not ;  and  discover,  b)-  de* 
glees,  that  it  is  not  a  "  rude  and  indigested  mass"  of  various 
"matters,  but  a  complete  and  beautiful  arrangenient  of  gracCj 
love,  and  peace,  from  beginning  to  end.  it  flows  from  one 
great  focintain  of  truth,  and,  in  itc,  several  streaiTis,  rolls  the 
Water  of  Life  through  the  v/hole  city  of  Ocd. 

This  Voice  condesc^jnds  in  all  his  tuition  to  our  capacities, 
\\r\A  speaks  the  things  of  God  in  the  language  of  man.>  He 
d';sce)>ds  \b  the  poverty  of  our  ideas,  and  enriches  thsna  from 
the  e\-erh:stii-!g  treasures  of  his  grace.  When  his  people  look, 
to  him  for  iiistruction,  he  is  not  a  Bath-Kol^\  or  daughter  of 
»  vorce^  as  the  Jewisii  drenm.crs  have  asserted  ;  but  he  speaks 
to  their  hearts  by  his  word;  he  enlightens  their  eyes  to  read 
it  ;  ;Mid  (as  that  word  is  made  for  all  their  possible  circuai- 
staii.cea)   he  enables  them  to  read   his  answer  in   the  sacred 

*  The  word  of  God  v/as  ever  an  anigir.a^  o^:  parable,  to  the  world» 
and  to  carnal  professors,  who  are  but  of  the  world.  There  is  a 
spirllual  sens<:',  which  runs  through  the  whcie  law,  the  prophets, 
:4nd  the  I-J^ew  Testament  itself,  which  only  is  truly  explained  by  the 
iinly  Spirits  and  which  he  docs  explain,  in  various  measures,  to 
the  meanest  believers;  while  the  learned  and  great  (iu  their  own 
eyes)  are  sent  empty  av.ay. — This  is  a  grating  truth  to  human 
pridt  <  but  a  truth  notwithstanding.  Pcter^  the  iishcrman,  knew 
this  sense;  when  GaindUl,  the  most  learned  doctor  of  the  Jewish 
law,  could  not  comprehend  it.  See  more  to  this  efrVcl  in  Bishop 
Stillingflekt's  Orig,  5'r.cr<r.  book  vii.  c.  7.  and  alii-o,  very  excel- 
lently, in  Spahn.  Diib.  Evavg.  vol.  I.  p.  46C. 

t  The  reader  mav  see  a  very  satisfac?.ory  acoount  of  this  pre- 
tended oracle,  and  of  the  sortc::  yirgi'h)u€,  with  other  stupid  divina- 
tions, in  Pkide AtJx's  Connect*  vo].  1 1 .  b.  5.  Tq  which  might  be  ad- 
dc  ci ,  W T  T  s «  Ji/rr.  Sctcr,  vol .  1 .  T?".  '  8 . 


V        O         I        C        K. 

eode.i  By  his  aid,  this  book  becomes  a  true  Encyclojjo'dla^  a 
circij  Qi  all  spiritual  science,  a  lively  oracle^  to  answer  all 
thi  wants,  longings,  and  i?i;norancfs  ot'  t'loii  souls. 

And,  It  any  word  or  words  inth^'so  Esiia)  s,  O  reader,  T.nd 
a  way  to  ttiy  heart,  and  render  li:y  roul  thti  i^-ast  aid  or  ad- 
vantage; this  glorious  Voice,  of  whom  we  treat,  and  ;*o- 
cordn.g  to  whosa  word,  \is  hoped,  tlicy  are  fr:i«icd,  liath  a- 
lonc  spoken  that  aid  or  advantage  to  th^c.  Ten  thousand 
volumes,  ail  penned  according  to  truth,  and  containing  n.  - 
thing  but  the  truth,  wouii  not  impart  one  ray  or  li^ht,  nor 
aiibid  one  drop  ot  comfort,  to  thy  spirit,  wilhont  this  e'/cetu- 
^/ help.  Hov/  should  this  leacli  tnee,  then,  to  piav  nr^^f 
what  thou  mayest  hear  or  read  ;  tiiat  thy  time  may  not  be 
lost  in  the  exercise,  nor  thy  soul  go  av/ay  dry  without  a  blcS' 
sing?  For  want  of  this,  we  hear  such  constant  complaints  a- 
mong  religious  people,  of  their  y3"-/7;;2j/,  their ///•t«ir-6t//v,  or 
themselves.  There  is  no  wonder  in  the  case,  that  ordinances, 
pra^'-ers,  sermons,  &:c.  should  not  profit ;  because  they  are  not 
mixed  'with  jaitbxw  those  who  use  them.  '1  h^y  look  «:•  to 
men  ;  who,  as  men,  are  barren  trees.  And  what  right  hwv^ 
they,  t^»en,  to  grieve,  that  God  doth  not  hear  tbcrn,  whea 
they  themselves  do  not  listen  to  God?  Can  they  expei-T:,  that 
He  should  comfort  them  on  earth,  while  th.  y  do  not  look  up 
to  Him  in  heaven  ?  Ought  they  to  complain,  that  tJie  Lord 
flights  their  desires,  who  attend  not  to  his  word  in  the  nature 
or  expression  of  those  desires  i  If  Abraham^  Aloses^  or  St. 
Paul^  vvrere  on  earth;  neither  of  them  could  give  a  spark  of 
grace  from  themselves;  and  ail  of  them  v/ould  peremptorily 
point  men  to  the  Spirit  and  his  word  for  that  end.  In  vain 
do  ministers  preach  even  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  to  people, 
v/ho  are  not  taught  by  the  Spirit  of  Jesus  to  look  up  to  hiai 
alone  for  his  gracious  power  and  instruflion.  They  may  run 
•from  ordinance  to  ordinance,  asd  yet^j  lean  all  the  day  long, 
^f  hey  may  be  diverted  (according  to  a  strange  fasliion  grou'i? 
tip  in  the  professing  world)  under  a  sermon  ;  tlicir  ears  may 
be  tickled  with  tlie  wit,  or  the  eloquence,  and  son»eiiM)c» 
perhaps  with  something /t'lj-  than  these;  but  their  min^ls  not 
savingly  enlightened,  their  hearts  not  edified,  nor  the  hfc  oJ 
grace  more  established  within  them.  O  v/hat  deceits  of  sjtt 
and  sinfulness  have  we  in  us,  and  about  ns  I  How  tittle  coi!«t 
munion  do  we  hold  with  our  God,  even  in  places  devoted  to 
that  communion  ;  and  how  much  less^  every  wlvjre  else  I— *• 
Might  not  Christ  ask  again  that  awful  question  ;  ii  i>in  :0e  Sen 
cf  man  comcth,  shall  be  find  faith  on  the  curtb  i' — Reader,  ask 
thyself,  "  shall  he  find  faith  in  :.ii:  ?" 

Attendance  upon  ordinances,  uttcrir.g- prayers,  singing 
praises,  or  any  other  ails  Vvhich  the  !)odj'  tan  perform,  consi- 
€lfircd  in  themselves,  arc  not  n//^A<2,  tJ)rugh  proper  a'.yl  np- 


i40  VOICE. 

pointed  means,  by  which  the  Holy  Spirit  works  to  hege-t 
and  support  it.  They  are,  therefore,  rightly  called  means  ; 
for  tiicy  are  no  more  the  end^  than  the  scaiTold  is  the  build- 
ing itself,  which  it  is  only  ,constru6led  to  raise.  But  true 
religion  is  that  inixirougbt  grace  of  God,  which  sliews  it- 
self in  faitJj  towards  Him^  and  goodness  towards  man ; 
which  enables  the  Christian  to  lean  upon  God  as  his  only 
stay,  to  enjoy  communion  with  hira,  and  to  give  up  body,  soul, 
and  all  things,  to  his  wise  disposal;  which  invigorates 
his  lieart  against  the  power  of  the  world  and  sin,  and 
which  enlightens  his  mind  to  follow  truth  and  to  renounce 
every  delusion  and  error,  which  may  affe6\  his  salvation.  In 
this  blessed  religion,  there  is  life,  light,  peace,  holiness,  and 
all  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit  ;  because  this  religion  is  a  creation, 
not  of  the  animal  nature,  but  of  the  Spirit  alone. — When  one 
considers  this  truth,  and  looks  abroad  in  the  world  for  some 
.appearances  of  it.;  Alas!  Where  are  they  to  be  found  1  How 
rnany  poor  souls,  under  the  most  evangelical  preaching  for 
years,  join  in  the  prayers  of  others  and  make  many  long  pray- 
ers themselves,  constantly  frequent  every  holy  ordinance,  and 
look  with  solemn  faces  on  all  the  solemnities  of  the«gospel  ; 
vfho  never  knew,  and  never  enjoyed,  the  secrec  and  divine 
experience  of  the  religion  of  jesus  !  If  they  are  not  ignorant 
of  its  form,  or  not  cold  and  insipid  in  their  manner  ;  yet  how 
many  only  get  heated  in  their  passions,  or  fervent  in  their 
animal  trame,  either  hj  the  affecling  energy  of  a  sermon,  or 
upon  the  relation  of  soiuC  extraordinary  occurrences  in  the 
world  1  And  how  many,  when  nothing  but  the  old  man  has 
been  stirred  up  in  them,  hav.e  fancied  themselves,  only  from 
ihe  violence  of  his  emotions,  deeply  devout  and  lehgious  ; 
.when,  if  they  would  examine  the  case,  they  might  find  perhaps 
that  the  same  emotions  might  be  raised  uj)on  any  other  occa- 
sion, or  at  the  play-house.  The  voice  of  God,  in  his  people's 
souls,  is  not  thunder  and  bluster,  but  a  still  small  voice ^  in- 
ducing a  calm  in  cur  turbulent  nature,  and  liftingus  up,  above 
that  nature,  into  h.is  holy  rest.  Thus,  he  that  truly  believctb^ 
iiATH  entered  into  rest^  Andjinds  it  within  his  soul.  'Tis  not 
grace,  but  the  flesh,  which  finds  amusement  m  possession, 
I'aith  doth  not  go  to  ordinances  to  pass  away  tlie  time,  or 
merely  because  it  is  right  to  go  ;  but  enters  upon  th.e  holy 
duties  with  a  sacred  awe,  considers  in  whose  presence  it  adts, 
and  looks,  tbrourjj  the  duties,  for  the  blessings  of  strength 
and  wisdom  proinised  in  the  use  of  them.  Unbelief,  on  the 
contrary,  attends  ordinances,  not  to  edify  but  to  stun  conr 
science  with  a  form  of  godliness,  to  quiet  a  gnawing  worm 
within,  r^r  to  appear  with  a  good  face  in  the  professing  world 
♦without. — ^O  tiie  deceitfulntss  of  the  heart,  which  can  draw 
nttives  01  stlf-rigbicousness  and  self-complacency  onl  of  those 


SPIRIT     or     W  I  S  D  O  M.  241 

'.'.cry  duties,  which  were  enjoined  for  the  suppression  of  those 
principles  within  us !  And  how  womle^ful  a  business  is  it,  in 
ih^   view  of  so   many  shipwrecks    about  us,  to  be  indeed  a 

cHRis-TiAN,  .and  .at  h\st  to  get  safe   into  the  haven  ! i3c- 

i.ic\  -1,  let  this  awful  refledlion  preach  to  thy  heart,  that  it  is 
ail  yj  grace ^  from  beginning  to  end,  tl'at  tbou  art  j.:vcd ;  for 
suiciy,  it  speaks  ?loud,  that  nolhinfi^  but  gracious  omnipo- 
tence could  save  thee,  so  long  and  so  often,  from  the  snarea 
of  the  world,  f-oni  the  wiles  of  the  devil,  auioni;  the  fails  of 
p  pressors,  and  irom  (what  i.s  a  more  dangerous  evil  than  all 
the  vtsij'-r-i/binf  own  self.  O  look  up  to  this  blessed  Spirit, 
this  eternal  voice  of  heaven,  that  he  may  finish  what  he 
hatli  ^cgun  in  thee,  and  that,  ai'ter  enabling  thee  to  fight  the 
good  fight  of  faith,  he  may  finally  give  thee  the  cro'ivn  of 
righteousness^  and  bless  thee  among  his  chosen  for  ever  and 
ever! 

The  VOICE  of  God  is   God  alone, 

Speaking  his  perfe6l  will  : 
Angels  are  dumb  before  his  thjrone, 

And  mortals  should  be  still. 

'«  Be  still  and  know  that  I  am  GOD  ;" 

This  glorious  voice  commands  ; 
^nd  swift  the  universe  abroad 

In  awful  silence  stands. 

'So  Vv^hen  this  voice  divine  affords 

The  counsels  of  his  grace, 
^li  heav'n  is  mute,  because  no  words 

His  mercy  can  express. 


•:o:0-:^ 


SPIRIT     OF     WISDOM,  Sec. 


170LLY  came  into  the  world  by  sin  /and  tT^ereiore,  in  the 
JC  language  oTfLivine  revelation,  it  is  called  by  the  same 
name.  MoVal  tu.  pitude  and  spiritual  ignorance  arose  from 
one  source  ;  and,  though  we  may  distinguisii  them  into  a(5^s 
of  th:?  bodv  and  ads  of  the  mind'  they  are  as  cl.)sely  aiiicd  as 
cause  and'elTea:,  or  even,  in  cur  present  state,  as  th-  body  and 
mind  horn  which  they  procec.l.  The  .vickcdness  of  folly,  and 
.the    toilv   of  wickedness,    are   terms    pcrfeaiy   convertible: 


,-241  S  P  I  R  I  T     o  F     W  I  S  D  O  M. 

They  mean  the  same  thing,  and  in  fa6\  are  the  same.  N» 
wielded  man  is  a  wise  i;>an.  The  world  may  possibly  consi- 
der him  as  such^  because  h^  may  have  craft  and  cunning  ;  and 
so  have  the  devils  :  But  like  them  indeed  he  is  a  very  fool, 
and  will  be  found  so  to  ail  eternity.  He  may  possiuiy  deUule 
and  bubble  his  fellow-creatures  ;  but  while  he  is  doing  it,  he 
is  hiboring  to  cheat  himselt  into  everlasting  ruin  :  And  the 
man,  w!»o  comraits  this  cunning  folly,  flenies  also  the  very 
being  oi  God,  in  the  strongest  manner  he  can  deny  it,  for 
which  impudence  of  absurdity  God  calls  him  a  stupid  sinner^ 
or  a  sinful  jool^  for  his  pains.  Ps-an-ns  xiv.  and  liii.  If  he 
could  get  tbs  wbolt  wDi'ld  by  his  industrv  in  this  way,  our  Sa- 
viour says  (in  almost  so  many  words)  that  he  would  be  an  e- 
ternal  loser  :  And  vv^hat  a  wretched  mistake  then,  must  be 
■commit,  v/ho  throws  away  his  soul  for  less  than  the  tsn  tbx):L- 
sar.dtb  part  of  that  world.'* — Yet  every  man  commits  this  ve- 
ry mistake,  v/bo,  leaving  (iod,  hunts  after  the  earth  as  his 
portion,  and  becomes  the  identical  person  of  whom  the  Lord 
speaks  in  the  text  just  mentioned  ;  because  his  beart  and  iife^ 
which  arc  stronger  evidences  than  his  tongud^  agree  to  say — 
T'bere  is  no  God. 

The  original  word  b^:,  from  whence  the  words  ^ox  folly ^  &c. 
are  derived,  is  very  expressive,  and  plainly  points  out  how 
this  cvli  came  into  man,  and  how  odious  it  is,  both  as  to  cause 
and  effcdl,  in  the  sight  of  God,  It  signifies  iofalla^joay^  slide^ 
orjto'iv  off^  and  alludes  to  the  woeful  fall  of  Adam,  It  means, 
likewise,  as  a  consequence  of  that  fail,  to  be  ix^eak^  languid^ 
cut  ojj^fyom  nourisbm-cnt^  as  leaves  are  by  falling  from  their 
tree.  Nor  does  the  fulness  of  the  word  stop  here,  but  car- 
ries on  its  idea  into  the  cfftct  of  all  this,  viz.  to  make  or  es- 
teem vile  and  ha'.hsomc^  as  a  putrid  substance  is  to  the  out- 
ward sense.  Hence,  a  dead  carcase,,  which  every  body  knows 
was  unclean  and  abhorred  among  the  Jews,  receives  its  name. 
Lev.  V.  2.  This  very  name  for  the  corrupt  carcase  is  also  the 
word  which  God  hath  used  for  the  expression  of  vilencss  and 
abominatiou.  The  very  same  word  likewise  is  employed  to 
convey  the  true  notion  of  folly,,  which  at  best  is  insipidity^ 
and  so  opposed  to  '^risdom  which  is  derived  from  tasting,,  and 
in  conclusion  beC'>)mes  (like  all  insipid  and  unsalted  matters) 
Jilih^  rottenness^  and  corruption.  13y  all  this,  as  well  as  by 
express  phrases  and  passages  of  Scripture,  we  may  perceive, 
■how  senseless  and  abominable  at  once  all  sin  and  corruption 
arc  in  ihe  siglit  of  an. holy  and  all-wise  God, 

By  man  came  sin  2.x\(l  folly  ^  ?ii\<\deatb  or  the  dead  carcase  ^\x\to 
the  worldj  all  expressed  by  one  word,  wiiich  imports  whatever 
^is  stupid,  and  insipid,and  hateful, and.loathsome.  In  opposition 
to  tins,  God  hath  used  another  word,  n):wn,  wisdom,  which 
does  not    mean  mere    naked    intellc(5l,    but    that    capacitr 


SPIRIT  or  WISDOM,  ike  24i3- 
ijf  the  soul,  employed  and  engaged  unoii  ir.entul  objccls,  whicli 
perceives^  tastes^  relishes^  and  coi^sequenth'  kuo^vs  usiuredly  ; 
as  the  faculty  o£ sr.>?s::thn^  which  our  palates  I)ave,  ta.st«K  and 
distingiiL-iiies  with  certainly  the  swc^t  or  bitter  qualities  of 
food,  or  other  substances.^  By  t!ie  Fall,  our  nature  was  cut 
■oiYfrom  ibe  life  of  God.,  became  ivsipid^foolisb,  shfuiy  and  iQ 
one  word,  spiritually  ^/<!'5r/ and  h!::,hsoTne^  witbout  Lao-icity  to 
taste,  without  v/Jsh"  for  that  capacity,  and  without  ai>y  ema- 
?iun  oi  biingtr  and  thirst  after  rTifLicoiisiu'ss  or  spiritual  wis- 
dom, which  might  discover  the  Ica.^t  true  r^ynptoni  of  life. 
For  creatures  in  this  state,  divine  liivrcy,  with  equal  love  and 
power,  contrived  the  means  of  rL'C;)verv.  A  pi^raon  iii  the 
trinity  would  assume  the  human  nature,  to  make  a  sitif.faction 
for  sin,  to  remove  every  cause  of  sr^paration  between  G'>d 
and  ni:-i4iv  CO  giv<j  iV'title'  totman  for  the  heirship  of  God,  and 
to  render  to  God  the  glory  which  his  justice  required  tVo:n 
man.  Another  person  in  the  triniiy  pror.rised^  jind  so  be- 
came the  Sfjirii  of  promise .^  to  renew  tlie  spiritual  life  in  the 
heirs  of  salvation  ;  to  endue  their.,  in  consequence,  with  the 
mental  capacities  o^  tastin^^  a;id  sfei:?i^^  hoi-j  good  tbc  LoiiD 
is  ;  to  carry  on  and  support  this  gracious  iif;  through  tlieir 
pilgrimage  here  ;  and  to  fit,  ripen,  and  iiitroduce  them,  for 
and  into  the  kin«^dom  of  glory.  This  operation  of  tiie  S  >i.-it 
proceeds  in  a  mode  analogous  to  tiie  animai  nature  ;  ani  gi'>'-5 
the  first  symptom  ol'/its  quickening  pow-r  in  tlie  soul,  by  creat- 
ing hunger  and  thirst  for  spiritual  food  (which  food  is  the 
sincere  or  unadulterated  milk  of  ibe  word  ;)  by  bestowi  g  a 
faculty  to  taste  and  delight  in  this  food;  by  i-uparn;' g 
fctrength  x.o  concoct  •s^W'X  digest  \x.^^o  tliat  growch  ma^/ 0,^  at- 
tained thcreb}' ;  and,  finally,  by  currying  on  the  whole  c?'co* 
liomy  of  grace,  till  the  soul  Ivath  ohiHined  its  proper  fulnj^s 
of  stature  in  Christ,  'i'his  i.5  the  grcai:  work  of  the  Spirit. 
Itr,  leading  efTeil  in  us  is  this  ivisdo,::  or  uisting:  A)i'i,  be- 
cause He  is  the  cause  and  operator  of  it,  He  hath  rcvealfd 
himself  under  the  name  of  tJvj  SpiJiiT  or  AVisdotj.  llv.rH>\ 
every  eiViO,^  whose  soul  is  cop.vincccl  of  ths  Uck  of  wisdom 
(James  i.  5.)  which  is  spiritual  hun.;:r  and  thirst,  aud  0:13 
of  the  truest  signs  of  real  life,  may  know  v/hcre  to  apply  for 
it.  He  is  to  ask  of  GO  D,  who  givab  librr^idy  and  :ipbrjid-ib 
not ;  anJ,  bv  obeying  this  precept,  he  g:  ov/s  to  the  full  and 
expcrimeutai  conviction  that  this  Spirit  cf '■wisdom  \^  the  God 
of  all  Y/isdoin,  and  that,  according  to  his  name,  it  i::  his  oifice 
to  give  and  grant  the  '-xHsdom  of  grace,  and  the  grace  of  wis- 
4om,  to  all  his  people.  Tiiey  obtain  the  wisdofv  c»:  grace, 
which  puts  them  upon  seeking  salvation  ;  and  liien  t Jicy  grow 

*  Even  Cicero  could  say  ;    A''-'":  €ium pyrexia  r.oj'n  sj'.u.n^  cz.ijru- 
ifda  sapisntia  est»     DiJinii-'^U  i. 


344         S  P  I  K>">I  T    d  F    W<  I  S  D  :0:U    L^^, 

in  the  grace  of  wisdom,  Avhich  enables  them  to  discern,  what 
doth  or  doth  not  belong  to  that  salvation.  B}*^  him,  they  are 
thus  made  wise^  however  ignorant  or  simple  in  other  re&pe6\s, 

to  the  true  ends  of  their  btung. That   this  great  agent  is 

God,  will  more  fully  ?.ppear,  by  an  argument  founded  on 
Scripture,  and  by  tiie  considerations  which  follow  it. 

The  Spirit  of 'wisdQm  mid  revelation  was  to  dq  grjCTi.,  in  or 
for  the  knQ'iijtedge  of  God  or  of  Christy  tbat^  tbt  eyes  of  the  un- 
derstanding in  believers  being  enlightened^  they  might  kno^tt 
the  hope  of  bis  callings  the  riches  of  bis  glory  ^  and  the  exceed* 
ing  greatness  of  bis  poiver.  Eph.  i.  17,  &c.  All  which  is  con- 
firmed auvd  expresssdin  other  words,  but  more  at  length,  by 
the  same  apostle,  i?.  i  Gor.  ii.  11,  Sec    t  Cor.  xii.  8,,&c. 

y ut  it  is  J  Eiiov AH,  or  God,  who  givetb  this  'wisdom^  and  wij- 
teachetb  ta profit  in  this  understanding  ;  which -is  proved,  aV 
mong  many  others,  fi  oir.  tlie  following  Scriptures  :  Prov^  ii.  6,- 
rs.  xG'v.  10.  Is.  xlviii.  17.  Dan.   ii.  20^ — 23. 

Therefore,  the  Spirit  of  Wisdom  is  J-ehovaHj  or  God, 
the  Spirit. 

In  the  former  Vohime,  that  glorious  climax  in  the  prophecy 
ij^i  Isaiah  (ix.  6.)  v^^as  cansidered  in  proof  of  the  divinity  of 
the  great  Redeemer  :  And  a  climax  equally  glorious  may  now 
be  treated  of,  v/b/ich  the  same  evangelical  prophet  has  deli- 
vered to  us  from  God,  respecting  the  Spirit's  divinity.  The' 
words  arc  in  the  xlih  chapter,  and  2,d  ve.r.se.  Christ  was  c.«U 
led  Christ,  because  he  was  anointed  by  the  Spirit  :  And 
b.cre  v/c  shall  see  the  nature  a-nd  eiTe6l  of  this  un6tion.  The 
.Spirit  of  J  coQvab  shall  rest  uponbnn^  the  Spirit  of  vjisdom  and 
understandings  the  Spirit  of  counsel  and  niigbt^  the  Spirit  of 
knovjlcge  and  fear  of  jebovab^  W'q  will  briefly  take  each  of 
these  titles  in  their  order,  with  some  others  which  have  an 
immediate  relation  to  them,  only,  premising  (what  has  more 
than  once  been  already  observed,)  that  tliey  are  all  names,  as-- 
Guined  by  one  and  the  same  S])int,  to  enable  us  to  conceive 
ijk.e  several  effects  of  bis  operations  in  the  son!.,  and  not  the  man- 
ner of  bis  own  existence  v/hich  is  ineffable,    i  Cor.  xii.  1 1. 

He  calls  himself  the  Spirit  of  Jekovah,  or  the  Spirit 
Tf.hovah,  because  he  would  impart  the  knowledge  of  his  di- 
vlp.ity,  and  make  us  know,  that  his  attributes  are  the  attri- 
butes ol'  the  Godhead,  that  lie  is  self-existent  and!  eternal, 
and  ihat,  therefore,  all  his  operations  being  divine  must  be 
sure,  permanent,  and  indefeasible.  In  this  view,  he  has  been 
eonsitiercd  in  a  for'mer  Kssay  ;  and  therefore  ^ve  shall  pass  on, 
and  enlaigs  only  in  the  ]jresent  attempt  upon  those  namer, 
which  may  not  be  treated  of  more  dislinclly  elsewhere. - 

The  Spirit  or  AV^isdom,  or  Spirit  Wisdom,  We  arc  all 
rendered  Iriiiisb  and  foolish  by  the  fall.  7be  ox  kno'wctb  bis 
owner y  but  'ive  luow  not  ours*,  and  the  ass  bis  7naslcr'^s  crib  ^ 


SPIRIT     OF     WISDOM,    he.        245 

but  'U'^  are  insensible,  and  walk  insensible  of  our  ile- 
pcndence  upon  God  for  the  gifts  of  providence  and  gra^c  : 
We  do  not  kno-:<j  by  nature,  nor  by  nature  do  =u/f  consider  or 
understand.  The  Spirit  Jcbovab  i:>  his  olficc  of  ^racc  is  i)ie 
Spirit  oJ\\)isdo7n  ;  the  ver)'  power  ^  essence  and  life  ofivisdo  -i  ; 
to  restore  to  his  j^eople  both  li^fe  and  those  J:jculties  wliicli  .;t- 
tend  upon  life,  \\\  hungering^  thirsting^  tastings  and  enjoying 
tlie  word  of  grace,  thi  gospel  of  the  kingdom,  and  iinally  life 
everlasting.  This  kind  of  wisdom  is  not  to  be  raised  by  the 
intellect  or  industry  of  man  or  any  other  creature  ;  for  it  is 
Hfe^  stre7igih^  ?i  faculty^  which  enters  into  the  very  composi- 
tion of  the  soul,  and  is  the  very  princi|)le  of  its  spiritual  be- 
ing and  welfare.  It  is  from  above,  and  leads  tlie  mind  to 
things  above.  It  delivers  the  soul  from  tlie  vanities  and 
fooleries  of  time  and  sense,  in  proportion  to  the  force  of  its 
operation  ;  and  gives  it  that  true  relish  of  unseen  and  invisible 
realities,  which  causes  the  possessor  to  thirst  for  them,  a» 
the  hart  panteth  for  the  "jjater-brooks^  and  to  count  every 
thing  else,  as  trash  or  dirt  in  the  mouth,  in  tomparison  of 
them.  Nor  is  this  relish  given  in  vain  ;  for  God  never  cre- 
ates faculties  but  for  their  suitable  obje6ls.  By  having  a 
paver  X.0  taste,  the  believer  comes  \.o  possess  the  spiritual 
wisdom  which  is  to  be  tasted;  for  as  men,  in  the  animal 
SQY\SQ^  partake  of  what  they  taste  according  to  the  quantity- 
received,  so  Christians  2iXQ  partakers  of  this  divine  nature  or 
wisdom,  according  to  the  measure  of  their  several  capacities. 
They  do  not  taste  this  food,  to  cast  it  away  ;  but  receive  it 
into  their  own  frame  for  its  very  life  and  sustenance.  Hence, 
this  wisdom  seems  placed  as  the  foremost  of  the  Spirit's  di- 
vine operations  j  because  it  is  the  basis  and  grouud-work  of  all 
the  rest. 

The  Spirit  of  Understanding,  or  Binaii.  By  this  we 
are  to  understand  a  farther  progression  in  the  divine  life, 
which  the  Spirit  worketh  in  the  soul.  He  brings  it  to  a  true 
judgment  and  discernment^  respe61ing  himself  ynd  all  neces- 
sary truths. 

The  Spirit  of  Counsel.  Christ  was  called  the  Cour.scl- 
lor  ;  and  here  we  perceive  the  reason.  The  Spirit  rested 
upon  him  without  measure.  He  was  filled  with  the  fullncsf 
of  God  ;  and  in  hii.i  it  dwells.  Through  Christ  (for  the  Spi- 
rit worketh  ail  in  and  through  h:m,  and  is,  th'jr::fore,  among 
other  names,  called  the  Spirit  of  Christ  J  he  is  the  Spirit  of 
Counsel^  ?ind  counsel  in  essence  to  ensure  his  counsel,  to  all 
the  redeemed.  His  counsel,  with  respect  to  the  persons  in 
the  divine  nature,  is  the  counsel  of  the  everlasting  covenant, 
and  is  therefore  called,  in  Zech.  vi.  13,  th^  cjirisft  cfpcMce, 
its  obje6l  being  to  restore  peace  between  God  and  man. 
Vol.  II.  H  h 


U-6         SPIRIT    OF    WISDOM,  &c. 

Thus,  ths  covenant  and  the  counsel  are  alike  everlasting; 
Ps.  xxxiv.  1 1.  And,  v;ith  regard  to  the  redeemed,  his  coun- 
sel  is  the  manifestation  of  their  interest  in  that  everlasting 
covenant,  and  the  demonstration  of  their  right  to  all  the  be- 
nefits which  it  ensures.  It  seeins  to  be  the  very  same,  as  to 
the  enjoyment  of  believers, with  the  'n\r,p(;>ofix^  or  fidl  assurance^ 
of  the  New  Testament  :  And,  accordingly,,  it  enters  into  all 
tlie  conclusions  and  energies  of  tlie  spiritual  life,  in  its  pro- 
gression and  approach  to  glory.  The  believer  is  led  by  the 
Spirit,  under  this  criara6ler,  into  all  truth,  not  as  notion  but 
reality  :  And  this  Spirit,  in  the  use  of  his  word,  ^ives  him 
the  evidence  of  spiritual  sense  (if  the  term  may  be  used)  re- 
speiTiing  divine  things,  preserves  him  in  consequence  from  the 
fallacies  of  error,  and  opens  to  him  brighter  and  brighter 
views  of  his  everlasting  inheritance.  This  is  energetic  coun- 
sel, not  mere  naked  advice,  which  may  be  taken  or  let  alone* 
For  the  Spirit  is  in  it,  enlivens,  engages,  and  efTedluates  the 
whole,  beyond  the  resistance  of  the  animal  corruptions,  or  all 
the  oppositions  of  men  or  devils.  Hence,  this  Spiiit  may 
well  be  styled. 

The  Spirit  of  Might.  He  was  so  in  Christ;  and,  there- 
fore, Christ  is  called  by  the  same  name  "»125  Migbty^  in  Isaiah 
ix.  The  Spirit  is  the  Spirit  of  Migbi  ;  because  , there  is  no 
might,  but  by  him.  Not  by  mighty  nor  by  povjer^  but  by  my 
Spirit,  saitb  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  Zech.  iv.  6.  He  is  the  Spirit 
of  Migbt  to  the  redeemed;  because  sin,  in  robbing  them  of 
their  spiritual  life,  left  them  Kvitbout  any  spiritual  strength. 
Roin.  V.  6.  Throughout  the  Scriptures,  in  this  respe6l,  they  are 
described  in  the  condition  of  a  dead  carcase — without  sensa- 
tion— without  capacity — without  ihe  power  even  to  wish  or  to 
will  for  power,  in  their  regeneration,  this  Spirit  exerts  his 
might,  quickening  ih^vn  from  the  death  of  trespasses  a7id  sins,  & 
enabling  them  (like  the  dry  bones  in  EzekielJ  to  rise,  stand  up, 
and  walk.  Nor  is  this  all.  He  works  all  their  ^jcorks  in  thefn. 
He  eives  strength  to  a6i  grace,  to  grow  in  grace,  and  to  put 
forth  the  fruits  of  grace.  The  believer  has  no  spiritual  life 
or  power,  separate  from  this  Spirit ;  but  being  in  communion, 
nay  in  union  itself,  with  him,  he  is  invigorated  to  do  all  that 
is  truly  done  for  God,  by  the  effectual  working  of  his  power, 
Eph.  lii.  7.  Tliis  is  an  inestimable  privilege  ;  because  oper- 
ations, so  performed,  have  spirit,  life  and  value  in  them,  can- 
not be  lost  or  perish,  but  must  be  acceptable  to  God  through 
Christ  Jesus  for  ever.  And  these  are  the  good  works^  which 
the  Spirit  himself  says  do  follow  his  people  into  glory.  Rev. 
xiv.  i^.  The  natural  man  laughs  at  all  this.  He  thinks 
bur.selt*  mighty  enough  in  his  fallen  nature  to  do  "  works 
pleasing  and  acceptable  to  God  ;"  and,  though  he  cannot  keep 
one  single  thought  in  his  head  without  fluctuation  for  one 


SPIRIT     OF     WISDOM,  he,  247 

single  minute,  he  presumes,  tliat  he  cun^.v  for  liimst.,  ..n 
everlasting  fouiidaLion  beyond  the  skies.  Uut  a  trial  vvill 
come  upon  all  these  tiatural  po^ucrs ,-  and  then  will  be  fiuiill- 
e-d  the  words  of  the  prophet;  Tl?i;  youths  shall  fuint  otui  Ix 
lucary  (those  who  promised  to  hold  'out  the  lon^.ist,  and  th^ 
young  men,  (the  choicest  aiid  the  strongest  of  all)  shall  utterly 
JalL      Is.  xl.  30. 

The  Spirit  of  Knowledge.     The  v/ord  rendered  kurji-j. 
kdge,  in  this  place,  has  a  very  full  and  comprehensive  idea, 
and  includes  the  whole  experience  of  the  ciiildrcn  of  God.      It 
consists   in   knowing,  by    a  sensible  enjoyment  of  the   tinng 
known,  and  it  particularly  refers  to  tlie  enjoyment   of  Ood 
and  the   things   of  God,  by  communion  with  him.     By   tiiia 
Spirit,  as  the  Spirit  of  inoivlcdge,  a  man  is  led  to  know  and 
to   estimate  himself  aright,  as  well  as   to    form  a  just   va- 
lue  of  all  other  things.     By   this    he  is  led  to  kiio'io   experi- 
mentally, whatever  he'knows, concerning  the  obje(!i\s  of  salva- 
tion.    An  apostle,  and  the  most  learned  of  all  the  apostles, 
humbly  professed;   Of  jnyself  I  Jcnow  nsihing.     Alter  stich  z 
testimony,  it  must   be  no  moderate    arrogance  in  any   other 
man   to   pretend   the    ability.      And  yet,   there  arc  people  at 
this  time,  and   there  have  been  people  at  all  times,  who  sup- 
pose, that,  from  first  to  last,  tiiey  are  the  immediate  and  ex- 
press  agents  of  their  own  salvation,  and  who  contradi-Jl,  by 
that  supposition,  the  terms,  the   phrases,  the  analogy,  and  a- 
greemcnt,  of  tlie  whole  book  of  God.     Scarce  any  presump- 
tion, for   instance,  is  more  common,  than  ilut  ic  is  in  evcrv 
man's  power  to  repent,  when  he  pleases,  as  oiten  as  lie  pleas- 
es, and  as  long  as  he  pleajes :   And,  accordingly,  we  have  vo- 
lumes   upon   volumes    written,  and   sermons    after    sermons 
preached,  to  strengthen  that  presumption.     But  where  is  the 
effecl,  and  'xhat  f   Who  is   converted  by   these    unscriptural 
discourses  to  God  ?   Who  learns  from   them  to  deteit  and  a- 
void  sin,  to  be  heavenly    minded,  or   to  be  weaned  £rom  t.'ic 
world?     Do   the    writers  and   preachers    themselves: — It  is 
tender  ground:   Let  them  ask  their  own  hearts  the  question, 
God's    word,  however,  holds    out  a  very  different  sentiment 
concerning  repentance.     The  term /xe'/aK><*,  which  implies  the 
repentance  unto  life,  is  used  in  the  New  Testament  to  express 
a  change  of  the  mind,^  and  points  out,  by  au  easy  implication, 

*  The  word  On:  signines  this  change  ;  anrf  it  also  sii;nif:ys  ccji- 
solation:  Possibly  because  this  repentance  leads  to  all  consolation, 
and  is  never  to  be  repented  of.  There  is  another  word  n'.T,  which  is* 
translated  to  repc:U  ;  but  it  means  rather  to  be  converted ;  as  ^vhcn  a 
person  has  gone  wrong  into  a  way  of  trouble  and  sorrow,  he  is  turn- 
ed back  or  restored  to  a  right  path  of  peace  and  quietness.  The  a- 
postle  Peter  hath  used  the  sense  of  both  words  in  Atls  iii.  JP- 


248  SPIRIT     OF     W  I  S  D  O    M,  &c. 

how  much  the  mind. of  man  is  turned  from  truth  and  r6eti* 
tude.  To  change  it  frcm  this  state  of  corruption,  can  only  b.e 
the  work  of  the  Father  of  spirits.  God  only  could  raise  a  dead 
b^dy  :  And  can  any  being,  inferior  to  God,  quicken  with  life 
a  perverted  and  dead  soul?  Repentance  is  a  grace  of  the 
Spirit^  efte6led  in  the  soul  by  his  own  immediate  agency,  and 
carried  on  to  its  perfe6lion  in  life  eternal  by  his  almighty 
power  :  And  they,  who  imagine  this  ability  in  themselves 
(though  they  never  found  it  there,  nor  saw  it  in  others)  only 
prove,  that  they  kno'iu  not  the  Scriptures^  nor  the  po'xer  of 
God, 

The  last  title,  which  the  Spirit  has  in  the  text  of  the  pro^ 
phet  is,  The  Spirit  of  the  fear  of  Jehovah.  It  has  been 
well    observed  by   a    learned  author,    that  "    the   word   n"j? 
[wlience  nxv  or  riNV,  translated  y^^r]  when  it  is  used  with 
relation  to   Cod,  signifies    every   kind  of  religious   duty,  and 
worship  both  internal  and  external."^     Hence  he  observes, 
that  HN^^  n"in'»  means  the  same  with  Seoo-s/^e/*  and  £yo-£/s£/a,t  that 
is,  the  adoration  of  God^  and  piety.     The  word  reverence  or 
venerationy  more  aptly  conveys  the  sense  of  the  term  used  by 
the  prophet  in  this  view,  and  well  expresses  the  final  ofiice  of 
the  Spirit  in  his  people  upon  earth,  which  consists  in  making 
them  meet,  by  idl  holiness,  for  his  kingdom  of  glory.   Much  of 
this  holiness  Jies  in  the  religious  adlings  and  pious  breathings 
of  the  sQUi  towards  God.  it  is  indeed  a  careful  and  circum- 
spect carriage  of  life  out^ards^  and  must  be  so  ;   otherwise, 
there  is  nothing  within^  or  at  least  nothing  for  comfort.  But  its 
chief  energies  are"  applied  to  the  inner  man^  and  are  a6led  in 
him,  very  muc^  out  of  the  Vv'orld's  eye,  often  out  of  the  eye  of 
even    gracious  piofessors,   and  sometimes  (especially  in  the 
hours  cf  temptation)  out  of  the  believer's  own  eye.  The  pur- 
pose of  the  Spirit,  in  all  seasons,  whether  light  or  gloomy,  tried 
oi  not  tried,  is  to  bring  the  soul  to  that  filial  reverence  depend- 
ence, adoration,  and  consciousness  of  God  in  Christ,  both  for 
tinu:  and  eternity,  which  may  render  it  fit  for  ihe  beatific  vi- 
sion and  full  fruition  of  heaven.     He  induces  all  devotion^  to 
tilcct'  devotedness.    This  is  the  Spirit's  finishing  work  in  the 
soul  upon  earth  ;   and  therefore  it  is  placed  last  in  the  above 
text,  that  v/e  might,  as  Christians,  see,  what    the  power  of 
the  Spirit  was  in  Cliristy&r  us,  and  what  through  Christ  his 
power  is  to  be  in  us.   In  both  resp«cis,  there  is  an  inexhaust- 
ible fund   of  hope  and  joy;  because  Christ  cannot  be  disap- 

The  reader  may  sec  a  just  definition  of  evangelical  repentance 
in  thtit  excellent  little  tra6\,  entitled,  A  sketch  of  the  dhiin^uished 
graces  of  a  Christian  ;  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Curdon.  p.  44,  h.c, 

*  Spanh.  I)ud.  Evang,  vol.  11.  p.  276. 

t  The  LXX  have  rendered  nNV  in  the  text  by  this  '»vord. 


SPIRIT     OB     AV  I  S  D  O   M,  Sec.  24^ 

pointed  of  the  fruit  of  his  doings  in  his  great  work  of  redeini)- 
tion,  nor  the  Spirit  defeated  in  his  purpose  of  applying  tl»at 

work  to  oui  benetit,  and  of  fitting  us  for  its  full  cnjovmcut. 

O  what  news  is  this  to  the  soul  in  distress,  or  lo  a  soul  going 
into  eternity  !  Kingiloms,  and  empires,  and  a  thoi'sanJ  worlds, 

are  not  to  be  mentioned  with  these  8ui)crior  gl  -ries with 

glories,  which  cannot  decay  (as  these  do)  but  wliich  shall 
grow  more  and  more  glorious  through  all  the  everlasting  ages. 
O  how  has  this  prospeCl  ravished  th.e  spirit  of  mary  a  depart- 
ing Christian,  and  given  him  a  taste  of  the  unutterable  bliss 
of  heaven,  before  he  could  come  there  1  How  intense,  yet  so- 
lid, the  delight  which  he  has  felt — almost  too  much  at  times 
for  the  mortal  frame  ;  and,  with  what  transport,  has  he  pro- 
claimed vi61:ory  over  death  and  the  grave,  and  all  the  fears 
and  apprehensions  which  swallow  up  the  world! — Reader, 
canst. thou  pity  the  Cbristian  in  this  state?  If  thou  cai^st  ; 
well  may  he  pity  tbee. 

There  are  some  other  terms,  applied  to  the  Spirit,  wlr.cli 
_are  so  immediately  conne6led  with  this  oftice  of  being  Wis- 
dom to  his  people,  and  seem  to  arise  as  so  many  branches 
from  it,  that  they  may  properly  be  considered  in  the  same 
Essay.  Indeed,  they  may  be  looked  upon  as  farther  expla- 
nations, or  presentations,  of  his  divine  agency  to  the 
mind;  or  as  diiTevent  or  distin6l  views  of  the  same  magnifi- 
cent obje6t,  in  some  particular  respcCl  or  proportions.  The 
obje6l  is  a  'whole  ;  but,  through  the  minuteness  of  our  capa- 
city, and  the  narrowness  of  our  apprehension,  we  can  sec 
only  one  part,  or  one  side,  of  this  objecl  at  a  time  :  And, 
therefore,  these  various  displays  should  be  owned,  as  so  man  j 
merciful  accommodations  from  God  to  our  limited  under- 
standings, 

ONE  of  the  Spirit's  gracious  attentions  to  his  people,  ia 
to  be  found  in  his  title  of  GUIDE.  The  gracious  promise  is, 
that  He  shall  gvibt.  the?n  into  all  the  truth,  John  xvi.  13. 
But,  it  may  be  said,  that  the  same  promise  is  made  concern- 
ing Christ ;  and  it  may  be  asked  if  there  be  no  confusion  of 
the  office  ?— If  the  words  are  duly  considered,  it  will  appear, 
that  there  is  no  confusion,  but,  on  the  contrary,  the  utmost 
harmony  in  the  case.  Christ,  as  the  day-spring,  was  to  yisit^ 
give  light,  arid  guide  our  feet  into  the  'uoay  of  peace.  Luke  i.  79. 
In  this  last  text,  the  word  is  K^V.^wa/,  which  significth  **to  di- 
redl  by  a  right  line"  to  some  particular  ohjeel:*  And  it  an- 
swers well  to  the  title  of  the  hlcsrcd  Redeemer,  n^o^^o/x 3^, 
forerunner,  who  laid  down  that  right  line,  and/rj;  -talked  tn 
it  himself.  The  Old  Testament  has  a  correspondent  word; 
but  more  strong  and  simple.  The  name  1^^^'.  leader,  forerun- 

*  Leick.   Crit.Sacr.invcrb, 


250  SPIRIT    o  E     W  I  S  D  O  M,  &e. 

3iei\  precepiOf\  is  formed  upon  this  idea;  that   as  N  (the  first 
letter  la  the  Heurew  alpliabet)  is  the  hading  letter  of  the  o- 
ther  letters,    and  the  first  element  of  all  future  science    and 
erudition;  so  is  the  name,  taken  from  it,  applied  to  one  who 
precedes^  or  leads  up  a  train   after    him.     Christ,  therefore, 
calls  himself  by  this  very  name,    to  subserve  this    important 
idea  or"  his  walking   before  us^    and  of  entering  jirst  into   the 
holy  of  holies  for  us.   Rev.  i.  8.    /  am  Alpha. — But  there  is 
another  word,  used  to  express  the  agency  of  the  Spirit,  in 
respecl  to  bis  personal  guidance.   He  is  the  o^Tjyo^,  not  merely 
as  2,  forerunner^  or  as  one    that  points    out  the  way,  but  as 
our  conductor  and  companion  in   it.     The   Hebrew  word  for 
this  (as   usual)    expresses  the  do6lrine  more  happily,      Tboii 
sbalt  guide  me  H.\)itJj  tby  counsel.  Ps.  Ixxiii.  24.    The  term  nn: 
r.ot  only  signifies  simply  to  guide ^  but  to  guide  viitb   csmfort 
and  complacency^  agreeable  to  the  Spirit's  office  of  Comforter 
Sind  Spirit  of  Counsel,     Thus  in  Isaiah  Iviii.    11.   Jehovah 
sball  guide  thee  continually:  And  the  words,   which   follow 
these,  express  the  happy  eife<Sls  of  his  guidance.     There  are 
some  other  passages,  where  this  word  is   used  to  signify  Je- 
hovah the  Spirit's  con:ifortable  guidance  and  support  ;  one  in 
particular  at  Exod,  xv.  13 — 18.   Thou  in  tby  mercy  hast  led 
forth  [thou  hast  guided poiv erf ully  in  Christ]  the  people  ^vbo7n 
tbcu  bast  redeemed:  Ibou  bast  guided  them  [gently  led^  as  a 
shepherd  his  flockj  in  tby  strength  unto   tby  holy  habitation^ 
or  habitation  of  thy  holiness. — Fear  and  dread  shall  fah  upon 
them  [the  enemies]  by  the  greatness  of  tbin^e  arrn  shall  they  be 
as  still  as  a  stonf  y   till  thy  people   pass  over,  O  Lord,  //// 
tby  people  pass  over,  which  thou  hast  purchased^  or  possessed. 
Thou  sbalt  bring  them  in^  and  plant  them  in  the  mountain  of 
thine  inheritance^  the  place ^  OLord,  'whicb  thou  bast  wade  foJ- 
thee  to  dvicUin^  [for  thine  own  rest^  in  the  sense  of  Eph.   ii. 
22.]  in  the  sanctuary^  0  Lord,  Hk^bicb  tby  bands  have  estab- 
lished: The  Lord  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever.     This  glo- 
rious passage  includes  the  purport  of  the  Old  and  New  Tes- 
taments, the  offices  of  Christ  and  the  Spirit^  the  obje(5t  and 
end  of  all  grace  and  salvation.     The   people  of  God  are  said 
to  be — redeemed — in   mercy — guided  pOKverfully^   and  gently 

led not  in  their  own  strength,  but  in  Jehovah^ s — to  heaven; 

the  earth  not  being  the  habitation  of  his  holiness,  because  it 
\s  p&lluted  ^nd  cursed — all  opposition  to  be  nothing  or  in  vain 
no-ainst  them — while  they  pass  over  ;  which  is  doubled  fov  a 
particular  emiphasis,  and  denotes,  that  they  must  be  Hebrevis 
in  deed^  as  well  as  in  name  ;  and  must/\7jj,  like  Abraham^  o- 
x^er  the  river.,  leaving  all  behind  them  for  God;  or,  like  the 
Israelites  over  the  sea^  quitting  with  M.'^ses  the  world  and  its 
bondage — for  they  belong  to  another,  being  the  purchase  and 
possession  of  God— are  to  be  bis  habitation  tbrouob  the  Spi- 


SPIRIT     OF    W  I  S  D  O  iM,  8cc.         251 

rit — and,  then,  the  Loud  will  reign  in  ibcm  and  over  tbcmjlr 
ever  and  ever.  According  to  this  gracious  |,roi;iisc,  il\c  Holv 
Spirit  typically  ltd  them  tlirough  liie  wildtriiess,  by  the  pilb'r 
of  cloud  and  fire.  They  moved  <;j- lic  i.iowd,  and  followed 
%\}bercvt'r  he  led.      He  never  left  thcrn  till  he  brought  them  to 

Canaan. I'his   is  a   summary  of  the  gospel   and  gr^ce  of 

God,  and  was  given  to  lead  up  his  people's  minds,  aoovc  tho 
consideration  of  their  present  deliveranc-  from  Pharaoh  aiul 
^SyP^'>  ^'^  what  that  deliverance  typified,  and  to  what  w.mld 
be  the  end  of  their  faith  in  him;  najnely,  a  present  release 
from  the  curse  and  bondage  of  sin,  awd  finally  the  consumma- 
tion of  grace  in  glory.  It  is  a  full  answer  to  the  miserable 
cavil,  that  the  people  of  God  in  the  Old  Testament  were  to 
have  nothing  in  view  but  temporal  things:  It  is  a  rich  pro- 
mise to  believers  in  all  ages,  that  (Jr.iiovAH-j'Vjf//  having  ;t- 
deeraed  -dud  purchased  x.\\{^m  by  his  blood  and  rigiiteousness) 
Jehovah  the  Spirit  will  guide  them  with  comfort  and  iajc- 
>V»  i>i  the  face  of  all  their  enemies,  to  his  and  their  holv  ha- 
bitation.— O  what  a  deliglitful  theme  is  here  for  meditation 
and  praise! — For  meditation  without  anxiety,  and  for  praise 
without  end  !  How  justly  then  do  they,  who  have  gotten  lli-j 
final  victory^  and  are  entered  into  rest^  take  up  the  harps  of 
God  (for  even  there.,  they  have  neither  instrument  nor 
skill  of  their  own)  and  sing  the  song  of  Moses ^  and  the  song  of 
the  Lu7nb^  sayings  Great  and  marvellous  are  thv  Vv'^orks, 
Lo;<D  God,  Almighty;  just  and  true  are  thy  Ways, 
thou  Ki.vg  of  Saints  1  The  song  of  Moses,  and  the  sonrj 
of  the  Lamb,  are  but  two  parts  of  the  same  glorious  an- 
them :  the  one  chaunting  forth  the  prediction  ;  the  oth.,r,  the 
accorapUshraent  of  everlasting  truth  :  and  they  accord  in  one 
chorus,  in  one  transporting,  universal,  tluindering,  Hallelu- 
jah 1  The  voice  from  heaven^  the  voice  as  of  many  "xatcrs^ 
the  voice  as  of  a  vast  thunder^  and  the  voice  of  thise 
innumerable  harpers^  was  only  one  great  resound! n^ 
voice  of  that  perfect  number  of  God's  elecl,  who  sing  before 
the  throne  one  blessed  ode  of  th.inus'^ivinr,  ever-ne^\  thou.'l) 
ever-lasting.  Rev.  xv.  3.  and  xiv.  z,  3.  To  all  this,  reader, 
the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  heavenly  guide.  Art  thou  not  ready 
to  turn  tlie  psalmist's  words  into  a  prayer  ;  May  this  God i/c 
9ur  God  for  ever  and  ever,  for  time  and  cternicy  :  May  Hf.  .'.-• 
mir  guide  even  ujito  death,  and  beyond  it  ! 

CONNECTED  with  this  office  of  the  Spirit,  as  the  S,mkit 
©F  Wisdom,  is  his  title  of  TEACHER.  Under  this  name, 
the  prophet  Joel  speaks  of  him,  in  ii.  23.  Be  glad,  ye  coH- 
dren  of  Zion,  and  rejoice  in  Jehovah  your  Alkhim,  f'jr  be 
bath  given  you  T^^'^1h  n*nDn  the  teachfrof,  or  for  right- 
eousness /  and  he  r-vHI  cause  to  com:  do\\jn  0:3^  to  you  the  rain, 
the  former  rain,  and  the  latter  rain,  in  the  first,  cr  chief  (pro- 


2S2.        SPIRIT     OF     V/  I  S  D  O  M,  &c. 

bably)  of  their  season.   The  words  cannot  be  translated  into* 
any  other  language,  to  carry    their   spiritual  and  important 
sense  ;  as  the  original  did  to  true  believers,  under  the   Old 
Testament.     Our  tongue  can  convey  the  notion  of  rain-,  the 
Spirit's  emblem  ;  but  not,  as  in  Hebrew,  i\:bat:  the  rain  sigm- 
fes  in  the   same  word.     This  is  a  glorious  prophecy,  to  the 
end  of  the  chapter,  concerning  the   divine   Spirit.     Ke  is  to 
teach  his  people  ;   and  his  dactr'hie  is  to  descend  like  a  cal^i,  a 
copious  shovvTer,  which  shall  replenish  with  grace,  or  fall  in  its 
gentler  influences,  as  the  n^h'jDj  the  early  rain  at  seed-time^  re- 
presenting  the   instruction  which   ig   first  imparted   to    the 
mind,  and  as  tlie  ii^-.p'*:)-  the  latter  rain  at  liarvest  maturing  the 
{:<i\'w^  ansv/cring  to  that   subsequent   crudi{ioH^  which    ripens 
and  fills  the  soul  for  tlie  heavenly  garner.     Our  translators^ 
by  rendering  p'O.'H'in  in  the  first  months  seem  to  have  made  the 
text  absurd  ;  as  though  it  said,  both  the  former  rain,  find 
the  latter   rain  fell    in  one    month.      But  the  former    and 
the    latter    rain    came    down    in    months  as  wide    asunder 
as    October  and    March  ;    and  there  is.  nothing  said    about 
7nontb  in  the  whole   chapter.]'     The  natural  image  appears 
to  be,  that  both  of  these  rains  shall  fall  in  the  v  prime   or 
chief  of  the  season  ;   and  the  spiritual  sense,  that,  these  doc- 
trines and  instructions  shall  all  descend  in  Him,  and  through 
Him,  who  is  tlie  head  or  chief  of  Jehovah's  v/ay  of  grace,  and" 
the  head  or  chief  of  his  ov/n  body  the  church  ;  or  that   they 
Bhall  be  imparted  in  the  very  best  time.     The  next  verse,  the 
24th,  treats  of  the  consequent  blessedness  of  the  Spirit's  de- 
scent  through  Christ  upon  his   people:      The  foors  shall  be 
full  of  'v:heat,  and  ihe  fits  shall  ovcrfovj  'ujith  'ivi?ie  and  oil — - 
there  shall  be  abuiidance  of  grace  ;  and  comfort  and  joy  shall 
Eur>erabound.     T;'.':^  lollowing  verse,  speaks  of  the  triumph  o- 
ver  enemies,  and  the  i*estoration  by  grace  of  what  was  lost  by 
sin;   and  the  two  succeeding  versus  treat  of  the  happiness, 
futisfaClion,  and  jcy,  which  shMl  be  to  God's  people,  and  oF 
the  praise   which  they    shaii  render  hj-ii,  in   consequence    of 
their  sense  of  his  presence  in  the  midst  ofthem^  and  of  the  as- 
surance that  they  shaU  never  be  ashamed.     After  this  follows 
immediately   that  celebrated  prophecy,  which  St.  Peter  ex- 
plains in  the  Aels,  and  wliich,  in  tad,  ij  only  a  farther  illustra- 
tion of  the  verses  above  mentioned.     They  all  belong  to  one 

♦  There  is  a  similar  prophecy  in  Hosea  vi.  3.  and  symbols  of  the 
like  kind  are  used  in  other  places,  which  are  to  be  understood  ia 
the  same  manner.  Cocceius  renders  the  above  passage  in  Hosea ; 
e:  venictut  ir.iber  nobis,  ut  serotina  criidiens  terrain;  "  and  he  shall 
f  onie  like  a  sliowerto  us,  like  the  latter  rain  teaching  the  ground;" 
i.  c.  preparing  it.  The  learned  Hebraian  aimed  to  preserve  the  dou- 
l.ile  sV-ise  of  the  original,  which  the  Latin  and  English  will  scarcely 
bear.     53ee  P3rdm  Ixxii.  6. 


SPIRIT     OF     W  I  S  D  O  M,  &c.         253 

and  the  same  prophecy,  and  afford  a  key  to  Dcut.  xi.  11. 
Lev.  xxvi.  4.  and  several  other  passages  of  that  naiurc.  The 
office^  and  necessity  of  the  office,  assumed  by  the  Holy  S|jirit, 
oi  tbe  Teacher,  is  undeniably  set  fortli  in  the  end  of  this 
second  chapter  of  jfoel^  and  set  forth  in  such  a  manner,  and 
with  such  dignity  of  circumstances  ;  as,  one  would  think, 
could  leave  no  doubt  in  the  mind  of  any  candid  and  impartial 
person,  concerning  the  truth  of  his  divinity. 

Behold  (says  ElibiiJ  God  exaltctb^  raiseth  up  tlic  mind,  by 
his  po^er :  Who  teachetb  like  him?  He  teacheth,  not  like 
man  with  uncertain  cfieel,  but  efficaciously^  mightily^  yea  (if 
the  word  may  be  permitted)  abnigbtily.  It  ig  the  glory  of 
JekovaHj  to  give  men  real  knowledge,  and  to  teach  t!\em, 
with  the  utmost  certainty,  to  profit  :  And  it  is  as  expressly 
the  office  of  the  Comforter,  the  Holy  Ghost  tsthom  the  Father 
hath  sent  in  the  name  of  Jesus^  to  teach  his  people  all 
THINGS,  John  xvi.  26.  and  to  guide  them  into  all  the  truth,  v. 
13.  Consequently,  He  is  the  true  and  very  Jehovah,  the 
most  mighty  and  omniscient  God. 

Let  him,  who  hath  the  unction  of  the  Holy  One^  look  into 
almost  any  passage  of  the  Bible  ;  and  he  will  see  full  and  in- 
dubitable proofs  of  his  great  Teacher's  divinity,  every  where 
expressed  or  implied.  And  he  hath  the  witness  of  his  tuition 
within  himself.  The  word,  and  his  own  experience  wrought 
by  him  who  gave  the  word,  answer,  as  in  a  glass,  like  face  to 
face.  He  is  led  more  and  more  to  prise  the  'xords^  not  'which 
man's  wisdojn  teacheth,  hit  vjhich  this  Holy  Ghost  teachetb^ 
comparing  spiritual  things  '^ulth  spiritual.  By  these  words, 
the  great  Teacher  disciplines  and  iiistra^ls  his  mind,  and 
often  darts  his  communications  of  grace  and  knowledge,  like 
a  keen  and  irresistable arrow,  into  the  inmost  soul,  lie  makes 
^is  do61rine  enter  into  the  very  heart  ;  and,  therefore,  the 
apostle  calls  it  fa;v, xa/t«p7tif,  KXi  roiJ.'Apoi,  living,  and  en^rgcucy 
and  more  penetrating,  than  even  the  sharpest  weapon,  which 
is  all  edge  and  point — a  two-edged  sword.  Hebr.  iv.  iz. 
God  doih  not  deal  in  iia:>hy  expressions,  which  have  great 
pomp  and  little  meaning;  but  usrs  that  internal  vigor  of 
sense,  which  language  alone  can  never  impart  to  the  soul. 
ScNSE  in  each  word  with  power  shines. 
And  Truth  through  all  the  nervous  lines. 

In  this  way,  he  renders  his  people  (however  ignorant  iii 
wordly  science)  trulv  learned,  and  deeply  wise  :  Not  in  the 
jingle  and  cadence  of  sounds,  (the  fribbled  dress  ot  iiierar> 
coxcombs)  not  in  puny  and  trifling  criticisn.s  upon  such  sup- 
posed elegances  and  polish  of  phrase,  as  are  to  be  met  wiin 
in  human  authors,  who  have,  more  or  less,  high  words  aud 
low  sense  i  not  in  comparing  his  holy  Book  with  the  limmi. 
Vol.  II.  I  i 


254  S  P  I  II  I  T     OF     W  I  S  D  O  M,  &c, 

compositions  of  li/^athcn  poets  and  philosophers,  nor  in  admir- 
ing passiiges,  only  because  (like  them)  they  charm  ihe  -weak- 
ness of  fancy,  or  the  flights  of  imagination  ;  not  in  nitasunn^y 
and   moiiiding  his  revealed  will   according  to  the  little  low 
rules  of  human  logic,  rhetoric,  or  grar.mar,  the  mere  efforts 
of  mortal  ingenuity  :  But  in  planting  or  imbuing  their  very 
spirits  into  those  profound  and  momentous  truths,  which  o- 
pen   the  eteni'il   afiairs   of  an  approaching  immortality,   and 
which  are  founded  on  the  solemn  declarations  cf  a  most  holy 
and  tremendous  God.     To  a  mind  thus  rightly  informed,  and 
preserved  thus   rightly   in  frame,  which  sees  the  glory,  and 
feels  the  worth  of  these  important  things  ;  how  flat  and  je- 
june, how  barren  and  poor,  do  the  finest  v/ords  appear,  which 
only  play  (as  it  were)  about  the  f>urface  of  the  subje(ll !   How 
ptiny  and  insipid  aii  comparisons  of  the  excellencies  in  Scrip- 
ture, with  the  tinklings  of  the  cl  issics,  or  the  most  labored 
performances  cf  men  1  These  indeed  may  serve  to  amuse,  and,, 
in  natural  things,  may  also  serve  to  embellish  and  intoim  tha 
mind  ;  but,  in  the   things  of  God,  either  by  way  of  rule  or  il- 
lustration, they  are  perfe6lly  out  of  season,  order,  and  place. 
The  utmost  end  they  can  serve,  in  this  rer.peit,  is  by  way  of 
foil,  to  shev/  their  ignorance  when  opposed  to  the  wisdom  of 
heaven.     In    the    spiritual   temple,  they  are   as  profane  and 
impertinent;  as   were,   in    the    outward   temple,  those   bold 
intruders^  Aniiocbus^    and  Pompey    the    Great. "^      -Persons 
became  holy,    by    having  a-'real  relation  and  right  to    the 
tem.ple  ;     and    they     did    not    expert    the     knowledg.c    of 
divine  things  out  of  it.     IVben  1  iv?nt  INTO  ibe  sanctuary 
(s:\.\d.  DavidJ  tben  understood  /,   Stc.     In  like   manner;    wc 
must  find  aivinity,  and  the  true  excellencies  of  divinity,  in 
the  Bible  alone,  Vv'hich  is  the  Christian  sanctuary;  we  cannot 
comj'Osc  them   ourselves,  nor  obtain  them   elsewhere  from   o- 
the»s;  Nor  do  thev  renuire  human  ornaments  to  recommend 
them,  but  therr  own  native  simplicity.     "  Many  (says  the 
learned  McdcJ  would  have  gold  to  be  gilded,  and  find  want  of 
knovvdadge  in  the  noblest  piece  of  learning  in  the  world." 
what  would  the  w.zw  of  taste  say,  if,  in  a  pi6lure  of  Christ 
with  his  apostles  at  the  last  supper,  tiie  painter  should  draw 
the  f).gures  with  bags,  swords,  ruffles,  and  other  trappings  of 
men  going  to  court  ?    Vv  ould  thev  admire  his  judgment  ?   The 
beauty  of  God's  word  consists  in  its   truth   and  relation  to 
€piiitual  tilings:   And  tiie  bes:  representation  of  that  word, 
in   hunian  language,  is  what  most  discovers  this  relation  of 
eternal  truth  and  draws  buck  the  veil  from  before  it.   Hence, 
men  must /?/-^j,  as  well  as  read ;   or  they  will  find  moords  in- 
stead of  things:  They  may  adjust  or  admire  the  cadency  of 

*  Mace.  V.  iJ.  Joseph.  Jhit.  Jiici.  1.  xiv.  c.  8.. 


^T  P  I  ^  I  T  or  W  I  S  n  O  M,  Jkc.  a5s 
tlie  ht.gULi^e,  discover  |.octical  llljrlu.s  and  rcspc/^  iUq 
strcjngUi  otchtf  diclian  ;  out,  vltli  all  diese  exterior  circu/n- 
stiuces  which  are  but  as  tinsel  to  th<^  g<»ld  ^iiuch  it  rovers, 
they  tiiay  K.iow  nothing  of  those  divine  y;loric3  wliich  irradiate 
arid  airnost  animate  the  hook  of  God.  It"  t'nis  nicthort  were 
piusu;;d  in  studying  theolosry,  ;no5t  of  the  heresies  and  errors 
v/iiicii  obtain  among  men,  llircugh  ne^^ledl  or  ignorance  of  that 
blessed  book,  would  soon  he  expl>>dod  for  futilities,  which, 
under  a  sh^vv  of  rt'usjn^  cowlviW:).  tbc  first  rreat  reason  \\\ 
the  world.  At  present,  too  many  bring  scniiiiicrits  to  the 
Scripture,  instead  of  receiving  trutli  /ro/;i  it;  and  bec2u«:s 
these  sentiments  wiii  ever  vary,  and  those  who  l^old  liiein  arc- 
glad  to  catch  at  any  thing  which  miy  support  their  respcAive 
opinions  ;  they  turn  (as  far  as  they  can)  the  Bible  into  Babtiy 
and  try  to  make  it  speak  all  manner  of  languages.  W'Jiereas, 
it  contains  but  one  great  truth,  whose  root  is  in  the  Vtod  of 
trutli ;  and  all  its  several  doc'crincs,  phrases,  and  terms,  are 
but  so  many  branches  growing  f)ut  of  it,  which  have  a  natural 
relation  and  resemblance  to  eacii  other 

There  are  several  other  titles,  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Spi- 
KiT,  whicii  have  a  very  neir  relation  to  these  here  consider- 
ed; but  we  should  carry  this  i^ssay  into  a  volume,  if  wc  at- 
tempted to  treat  of  them  all:  And,  therefore,  the  last  vJiich 
sliail  be  adduced  in  this  conncilion,  is  Ids  name  cf  MAKEil, 
Former,  FashioiNFR,  or  Frawer.  Our  translation  unhap- 
pily uses  these  terms  in  an  indiscriminate  manner,  for  one  and 
for  other  words  in  the  original,  which,  though  they  have  a  re- 
lative signitication,  are  certainly  not  tbe  sami\  and  are  some- 
times applied  iii  very  different  senses.  We  will  take  the 
principal  of  these  v/hich  aie  usually  rendered  M^kt^r  or  For- 
mer ;  and,  iDy  the  natural^  endeavour  to  explain  its  spir'nuf^l 
idea.  A  text  or  two  will  help  us  in  this.  Isaiah  xlv.  lo. 
For  th'Js  saitb  Jehovah,  that  Niu  creciitci  {ouc  of  nothing; 
tbif  bcauens^  the  Alehim  himself  that  ^:i>  (forman.=i)  formeib 
(mouidetb  according  to  his  will;  the  carib^  and  n*:;r  (faciens) 
viakctb  (arranges  its  perrecSl  frame  and  order)  even  be  n:;"»r  f- 
stadlisbcs  it  .  llxes  it  firmly  and  unalterably  in  its  whole  a- 
ra.igement :)  He  created  it  vot  in  •cain  ;  be  formed  it  to  he  ::i- 
bubited:  I  am  jehovah,  and  'Vrj\ii,  'i^ithcut  end  oi  my  diira- 
ti^o  or  power.  Let  the  verse,  preceding  this,  be  consiilered  ; 
and  it  will  appear,  that  all  this  testimony  of  God  relates  to 
spiritual  obje.is  and  matters  of  salvation,  and  that  the  piv- 
sent  verse,  witli  its  illative  particles  n:3-o.  For  thl's,  is  in- 
tended for  a  confirmation  of  the  other  verse,  which  it  could 
not  be  unless  th-it  verse  had  a  spiritual  meaning  '«*l-^-^^  ^  '"•^ 
foiio'vving  paraphrase  may  postioly  explain  the  wlmlc.  ''  hr^- 
el  hath  not  been  c.iiled  to  ny  knowledge  in  order  to  perish, 
i^ut  shall  De  saved  in  Jkhovah  with  an  everlasting  salvation  : 


:i,S(>        SPIRIT     or     W  I  S  D  O  M,  &c. 

Ye  shall  not  be  ashamed  nor  confounded  world  without  end. 
For  thus  shall  it  be  in  your  spiritual  creation,  as  it  was  in 
the  natural  ;  I  the  Alehim,  God  in  covenant,  brought  the 
world  and  you  both  out  of  nothing  ;  I  gave  you  a  new  crea- 
tion from  amidst  the  destrudlion  of  sin.  I  have  endued  you 
with  gracious  capacity,  as  I  did  the  earth  with  beautiful  form. 
I  have  arranged  all  things  in  you  and  for  you  ;  as  I  have  ar- 
ranged in  perfe(5l  order  all  the  universe  of  matter  about  you. 
I,  even  I,  have  so  fixed  all  these  blessings  of  salvation,  that, 
like  the  world  itself,  they  cannot  be  moved,  shaken,  or  frus- 
trated. Nor  have  I  bestowed  all  this  cost  and  care  in  vain  ; 
for,  as  I  have  formed  the  earth  to  be  inhabited,  so  have  I 
formed  and  fitly  framed  you  to  be  an  habitation  of  Jebovab 
through  the  Spirit,  I,  who  pronounce  this  mighty  promise, 
am  Jebovab  himself,  to  whom  there  is  no  bound  of  will,  time, 
or  power." — Another  text,  which  must  be  understood  in  the 
same  way,  may  be  cited  from  the  same  prophet  to  confirm 
this  important  testimony.  Isaiah  xliii.  7.  God's  people  are 
to  be  brought  to  his  salvation  from  all  parts  of  the  world  : 
Not  one  is  to  be  left,  but  all  are  to  be  gathered  ;  even  every 
one  (says  the  Lord)  that  is  callcdin  my  name  [God's  calling  is 
an  effedlual  calling  in  Christ]  and  to  my  glory  :  I  bave  creat- 
ed bim^  1  bave formed  bim  (or  moulded  him  to  my  will),  evsn 
I  bave  made  bim^  or  disposed  him  to  such  a  frame  of  mind,  as 
is  necessary  for  his  salvation.  There  "are  several  other  pas- 
sages, and  particularly  in  this  prophecy,  which  mention  the 
power  and  love  of  God  in  forming  his  people,  and  which  are 
to  be  understood  in  no  other  than  a  mental  or  spiritual  sense. 
See  also  Zech.  xii.  i. 

And  wherefore  shall  none  of  these  fail  ;  and  why  shall 
none  of  the  redeemed  be  left  ? — Seek  ye  cut  oftbe  book  of  the 
Lord,  and  read :  No  one  of  tbese  shall fail^  none  shall  ^v^ant  bcr 
mate  ;  for  my  mouth  [Christ]  himself  bath  commanded^  and 
bis  ^^\^w  himself  bath  gathered  them.  Is.  xxxiv.  16.  There 
is  an  almighty  efficacy  in  Jebus  to  redeem,  v/ho  is  the  mouth 
and  ^iiiord  of  the  mouth  for  Jehovah  to  his  people  ;  and  there 
is  an  equally  omnipotent  power  in  the  Spirit  to  col]e(5l  and 
gather  together  in  one  [that  is,  Christ]  all  the  children  ef 
God  that  are  scattered  abroad.  Compare  John  :fi.  52.  with  Epih. 
i.  10. — And  who  is  sufficient  for  these  things,  but  He,  who 
is  all-sufficient  ?  Wiio  could  do  this  great  v/ork,  but  that 
great  God,  who  can  do  every  thing  ?  And  if  all  this  be  through 
the  operation  of  the  Spirit ;  what  bold  creature  can  presume 
to  question  his  divinity,  or  call  into  doubt  the  efficacy  of  his 
creating  power  ? 

HOW  wonderfully  suited  are  all  these  oiTices  oi"  grace  to  the 
condition  and  w^w^j-  of  the  redeemed  ?  In  this  grncious  Spirit, 
through  Christ,  there  is  an  adequate  supply  for  every  possi- 


S  P  I  R  I  T  OT  W  I  S  D  0  M,  S.C.  15; 
ble  occasion  and  circumstance  of  their  souls ;  and  in  his  lioly 
word  there  is  a  full  and  j)ositive  dire6\ion,  under  each  ot' 
those  possible  circun)stances,  to  that  supply. — 'I'hty  were 
sunk  in  sin  and  folly,  and  loathsome  in  the  sit^ht  of  incorrupti- 
ble holiness  :  There  is  the  SpTkit  of  Wisdom,  given  tliro* 
Jesus  their  covenant  head,  to  renew  them  to  life,  and  to  re- 
cover them  from  ignorance  and  insensibility. — 'i'hey  are  si- 
tuated in  a  world  of  error,  and  have  ten  thousand  attacks 
made  upon  their  minds  b)'  the  sophisms  and  fallacies  of  a  car- 
nal nature,  of  carnal  men,  and  of  evil  Spirits  :  The  Holy 
Ghost  is  the  Binnb^  or  Spirit  of  Understanding,  to  give 
them  a  right  judgment  and  true  discernment  in  spiritual 
things  ;  so  that  they  shall  not  be  beguiled  of  their  rcsvard  by 
any  enticing  "iioords*  Col.  iii.  4,  18. — When  they  have  obtain- 
ed faith  ;  it  is  their  privilege  and  duty  to  seek  the  full  evi- 
dence and  comfort  of  their  faith,  that  they  may  hope  to  the 
end  :  The  Holy  Spirit  is  the  Spirit  of  Counsel  to  work 
this  demonstration  and  clear  prcception  in  their  souls,  so 
that  believing  tbey  may  rejoice  iviib  joy  unspeakable  and 
full  of  glory. — They  are  n:\turaily  without  screunrth,  and 
have  no  spiritual  power  of  their  own  ;  and,  v.'hen  grace 
is  given  and  an  opportunity  occurs,  they  have  no  ability 
of  themselves  to  exert  it  for  any  just  and  gracious  pur- 
pose:  The  Comforter  is  the  Spirit  of  Might,  and 
<worketb  mightily  in  their  inner  man,  enabling  them  both  to 
•will  and  to  do  of  bis  good  pleasure :  He  suffers  none  of  his  to 
be  barren  or  unfruitful ;  and  he  not  only  inspires  them  with 
readiness  to  do  every  good  word  and  work,  but  he  ordah^s  e- 
ven  the  works  themselves,  and  affords  his  people  strengtii  so 
to  perform  them,  as  to  render  them  good  in  reality,  with  re- 
spect to  God  and  man  :  He  allows  none  that  belong  to  him  to 
take  up  the  form  of  godliness  in  their  lips,  and  to  deny  the 
power  of  it  in  their  lives. — They  want  experience  aud  esta- 
blishment in  the  truths  of  salvation  :  He  is  the  Spirit  of  that 
Knowledge  and  experience,  and  exercises  their  minds  to 
endure  hardiness  as  good  soldiers  of  Christ,  that  they  may 
conflidl;  with  their  enemies,  and  become  at  length  conquerors^ 
and  more  than  conquerors^  through  bim  that  loved  them. — — 
They  ought  to  be  devoted  to  God  in  heart  and  life,  should 
walk  as  in  his  presence,  and  should  be  prepared  for  his  eter- 
nal fruition:  This  holy  One  is  the  Spirit  of  the  Fear  of 
THE  Lord  to  effeauate  and  establish  these  heavenly  princi- 
ples in  their  lives  and  souls.— Further :  They  were  not  only 
ignorant,  but  out  of  the  iiwjv  .•  He  i.<^  the  Guide,  to  bring  them 
again  iiito  the  right  \\!ay,  to  wail;  with  them  in  it,  and  to  con- 
dua  them  safely  to  their  journey's  end. — They  need  constant 
instruction:  He  is  their  sublime  Teacher,  uho  will  make 
his  doarine  descend  as  tiie  dew,  and  his  Icr.sor.s  of  grace,  like 


.058  SPIRIT     OF     W  I  S  r-  O  M,    8?c. 

the  eaHy  and  th«  latter  lain,  in  'Ju.;^  season:  He  xo'ill 'water 
thtyn  tvcry  momtiti,  ;  S'>  that  they  shall  spring,  and  grow,  and 
bear  jVaii  abundaricly  to  his  glory. — As  they  could  not  create 
themsels^cs  ai.ew;  so  Hkevvise  they  cannot  frame  and  prepare 
their  '>vvn  souls  Tor  the  everlasting  mansions:  This  blessed 
Spiiit,  thereiore,  \s  the  Fort.ier,  Maker,  Fashioner,  and 
Preparer  oF  ail  their  spirits  tor  glory,  as  well  as  glory  for 
them:  All  his  dispensations,  providences,  teachings,  and 
supports,  concentrate  in  this  one  great  end,  that  they  might 
be  eternally  saved,  and  that  God  in  all  things  may  be  glorifi- 
ed tbroitgb  Christ  Jesus. 

From  these  considerations,  the  dignity  of  the  person^  who 
executes  these  amazing  operations  in  myriads  of  souls  at  one 
and  the  same  time,  and  at  all  times  as  v.'-ell  as  in  all  places, 
v/ithout  intermission  or  end;  and  the  vast  importance  of  the 
operations  themselves,  in  the  bliss  of  such  innumerable  mul- 
titudes and  in  the  glory  of  God  ;  may  evidently  appear,  and 
perhaps  cannot  but  appear,  to  any  unprejudiced  or  awakened 
mind.  But,  however,  to  guard  us  (as  it  were)  against  a  con- 
trary conclusion,  absurd  as  the  conclusion  is  even  in  reason, 
as  well  as  repugnant  to  Scripture  ;  God  hath  given  such  a 
positive  testimony  of  the  divinity  of  his  Spirit  in  this  case, 
as  ought  to  silence  the  most  audacious  tongue.  He  himself 
calls  this  Spirit,  as  his  first  and  leading  name  of  nature,  the 
Spirit  Jehovah;  thereby  declaring,  that  he  is  able  to  per- 
form all  the  stipulations  and  promises  of  the  everlasting  co- 
venant revealed  to  his  people,  and  that  they  are  to  look  up 
to  him  for  the  performance  of  them,  both  in  time  and  eternity. 
Of  v/hom,  beside  this  Spirit,  is  the  following  glorious  decla- 
ration (to  mention  no  others)  given  to  the  church,  which 
contains  his  particular  agencies  for  her.^  Hast  thou  net 
knoi'JH  ?  hast  thou  not  hcard^  that  the  everlasting  Alehim,  Je- 
hovah, the  Creator  of  the  ends  of  the  earthy  faintctb  not^  nei- 
ther is  'iveary  P  there  is  no  searching  ef  vis  understanding. — 
He  ^giveth  peace  to  the  jaint  ;  and  to  tkem  that  have  no  mighty 
he  encrtaseth  sirevgiv  ;  even  the  youths  shall  faint  and  be 
fiveary  ;  and  the  young  men  shall  iittcny  fall:  Ihit  they  that 
wait  upon  the  Lord  ^hall  renew  their  strength  ;  they  soall 
mount  up  with  wings ^  as  eagles;  they  shall  run  ^'^nd  not  be 
weary  ^  and  they  shall  walk  and  not  faint.  Is.  xl.  i8,  he.  Com- 
pare thse  operations  with  the  Spirit's  titles  in  Is.  xi.  above 
recited  ;  and  see  whether  they  do  not  answer  as  precisely,  as 
the  name  of  anv  agent,  and  the  agency  signified  in  the  name, 
possibly  can  do. 

AND  now,  reader,  what  says  thy  heart  to  ail  this  ?  Canst 
thou  receive  it,  not  oily  us  true,  but  (what  is  almost  as  im- 
portant, at  le'ist  to  tliy  state)  true  to  thee  ?  Mast  thou  any 
savour  oT  th.cse  uies^in^s  :  and  are  the  names   and  omces  of 


S  ?  I  II  I  T     o  F     V/  I  3  n  O  M,  S,c.  259 

the  Spirit,  who  bestows  them,  as  otni'.ncni  poured  fortb? 
Alt  thou  led  into  the  expcnencs  c'  these  doctri.Ku  i  anJ  are 
not  the  doctrines  theinsjlvjs  revivini;  to  ihv  sf)ui  1— It 
must,  it  will  be  so,  indeed.  Thou  wilt  bu  ready  to  break  tortli 
with  the  psahnist  ;  Hoi\} precious  arc  thy  tbouybts^  the  '.viv-la 
L'ounsel  of  tb.y  revealed  will,  unto  vie  0  tJoi;  1  /;:,-•  '.;■  /:  it 
the  sum  of  tbcm  I 

If  thou   hast  been  truly  convinced  of  Lii':.. :  u\vn    t.^'M-:  i-u.: 
and  the  want  of  spirituai  wisdom  ;   nay,  what  is  mure,  of  the 
want  of  capacity  to  attain  it,  and  t'ne  inability  of  all  ch-.-  utea- 
tures  to  confer  it  upon   thee;   thou   art   convi  iced  also,  that 
the  Si  til  IT  OF  Wisdom  can  bestov/  it  upoii  thy  soul,  aiid  im- 
part the  power  to  exercise  it,    when    bcotowcd.     Tl.ou  Last 
seen,  tiut  this  wisdom   is  no:  a  v/isdom  of  v/ords  oniv  ;  that 
it  doth  not  consist  in  y-r'/if  j"5z^;iv'/j,    but  important  scuic  ;  that 
it  doth  not  speculate  so  much  upon  its  properobjeC^s,  as.  taste 
and  enjoy  thein  j-^"  that  it  is  an  acquaintance  with  things,  im- 
perceptible  indeed  in  tiiemsclves  to  the  animal  sense,  but  o- 
pen  and  clear  to  this  wisdom  in  the  very  spirit  and  paiposc 
of  them.     In  a  word,  they  are  the  things  of  (yoJ,  ana  not  o£ 
men  :   And  thou  hast   been  taught  the  humbling  lesson,  that 
God  only  can  bestow  them  upon  thee.     Finding,  therefore,  in 
the  Scripture  the  full  evidence  of  this  truth,  and  in   ti>y  own 
soul  the  deep  experience  of  its  necessity  ;   thou  bccomcst  en- 
tirely persuaded,  that,  because  the  Spirit  is  Geo,  iie  bo:ii  is, 
and  is  qualified   to  be,  the  Spirit  of  iVirJ-^m  to  thy  soui,  and 
to  all  the  redeemed.     He  is  equally  necessary   to  thee,  us  to 
them  ;  and    a  man  must  be  credulous  with    ^i   witness,   w:i3 
can  believe  that  a  creature  is  able   to  extend  himseh  to  my- 
riads of  other  creatures  ;  knov/ their  very   thoughts;  supply 
with  perfecl  exnelness,  what  is   requisite  for  tiicir  respev-iiv^ 
instruction,  strength,  comfort,  and  life,  through   all  the  ages 
of  time  ;   and  at  length  carry  on  the  whole  of  their   telicity 
to  his  own  glory   throughout  eternity.     He,  that  can  believe 
such  a   monstrous   proposition,   rather  than  sulniiit   to  God's 
testimony  concerning  his  own   Spirit,  v/itii.)ut  whowi  (as  it 
hath  bean  proved  in  the  course  of  these  K;;says)  tlierc  is  not 
one  operation  carried  on  either  in  t!>.e   natural  or  spiritual 
world,  and  to  whose  divinity  every  doctrine  of  the  gospt- 1  liaa 
a  dirccl  and  indissoluble  relation  ;  cannot  indeed  be  calleda^ 

*  The  reader  may  find  many  gracious  and  enccllent  refic-c^ion? 
of  this  kind  in  that  'admirable  orulion  of  IVitsius,  entitled,  He  ver<» 
-Uieologo^  which  cannot  be  too  much  or  too  often  rca.U  especially 
by  young  profensors  of  divinity.  The  cleRanre  of  the  composi- 
tion, great  as  it  must  be  allowed  to  be,  is  nothing  in  compari5,on  to 
that  amiable  spirit  of  evangelical  truth  and  hglhicks,  ^liich 
breathes  in  everv  line. 


i6o        SPIRIT     of     W  I  S  D  O  M,  &c. 

infidel  in  a  certain  sense,  but  a  very  devoted  believer  in  hu- 
man authority  in  direct  contradi6lion  to  the  divine.  He 
doubts  of  God's  infallibility  ;  but  he  swallows^  by  wholesale, 
the  infallible  omniscience  of  that  stupendous  reason  which  ex- 
alts itself  against  all  that  is  called  God^  and  denies  the  only 
Lord  God  and  our  Saviour  yesus  Christ,  "  That  person  can 
very  easily  believe  men  in  opposition  to  God  (says  Cyprian) 
who  will  not  believe  God  in  opposition  to  men."  Or,  per- 
haps (as  Borac  have  donej  they  will  make  a  merit  of  doubting 
upon  every  thing.  It  would  not  be  an  unfair  question  to  ask 
these  sages,  Whether  they  do  not  doubt  of  their  very  doubts, 
and  whether  in  doubting  they  arc  sure  if  they  doubt  at  all. 
For,  if  they  doubt  not  of  their  very  doubts,  they  become  be- 
lievers in  unbelief'.  But,  if  they  do  doubt  of  them,  they  are 
unbslitvcrs  of  that  very  reason^  wliich  they  preteind  to  ad- 
mire, and  by  Vv^hich  they  have  acquired  the  whole  art  of 
doubting.  Admirable  sophists!  who  learn  the  knack  of  de- 
luding others,  by  first  playing  the  cheat  upon  their  own 
selves. — To  such  mighty  lengths  can  man's  boasted  '.reason 
lead  him;  and,  though  it  bs  so  depraved  and  short-sighted  as 
not  to  be  able  to  explain  any  one  substance  in  the  world  as  to 
the  mode  of  its  existence,  nor  yet  to  shew  how  a  man's  own 
spirit  acls  upon  his  own  body,  nor  how  so  different  a  princi- 
ple should  be  confined  for  any  period  of  time  to  a  lump  of 
matter,  it  can  arrogate  to  comprehend  the  incomprehensible, 
to  define  the  indefinable,  and  to  assert  that  GoD  must  be  this 
and  the  other^  while  it  knows  nothing  essentially  of  any  one 
of  his  creatures.  But  this  it  reason^  and  sense.,  and  '{xisdom  ; 
and,  further,  it  is  rational  religion^  natural  religion^  the  reli- 
gion of  ver)'  great  reasoners  ;  who,  above  sixteen  hundred 
years  after  the  apostles,  have  made  a  wonderful  discovery, 
that  aU  the  first  ages  of  Christianity  were  involved  in  fanati- 
cism and  stupidity,  without  any  rational  ideas  of  religion,  or 
any  just  conceptions  of  truth.  And  yet,  without  much  pre- 
sumption, it  may  be  credited,  that  if  some  of  these  ij}imortal 
rationalists  had  lived  in  those  early  times,  when  *^  the  blood 
of  martyrs  was  the  seed  of  the  church;"  their  great  reasoning 
faculty  would  have  found  out  tiventy  arguments,  why  a  man 
should  not  forsake  all  and  die  for  Christ,  for  cwf,  why  he 
should. — But,  when  it  is  considered,  that  all  this  respe6l  is 
paid  to  reason^  in  order  to  get  rid  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  agency 
in  the  n/inds  of  men,  and,  by  that  riddance,  to  prepare  the  way 
for  something  eisc ;  though  one  cannot  admire  the  reasoning 
powers,  or  the  arguments  which  are  to  effe6l  this,  one  may  be 
astonished  at  the  efFrontery  uf  the  artifice,  which  aims  to  o- 
verthrow  ail  Christianity,  and  to  put  men  exa6lly  upon  the 
level  of  the  elder  heathens.  These  certainly  had  as  acute 
and  strong  underst-.indings,  as  perhaps  any  moderns  will  pre- 


SPIRIT     OF     W  I  S  D  O  M,  &c.         xCi 

tend  to,  in  the  discovery   of  divine  tilings  ;  yet  they  had  so 
much  modesty  as  to  confess,  that  God  was  uiUnoivn  to  their 

faculties,   nor  was  he  an  objecl   to  be  discovered  by  them. 

But,  let  tiiese  people  but  once  prevail  in  exploding  the  neces- 
sity of  the  Holy  Spirit's  internal  operations  in  the  souls  of 
men  ;  or  (what  will  finally  amount  exa6lly  to  thcsame  thing)  let 
them  once  gain  credit  to  their  assertions,  that  he  \s  a  crej' 
turc^  an  emanation^  a  "virtue^  a  iiamCj  or  at  most  an  ivftrior 
God ;  it  is  very  easy  to  sec,  how  chey  may  deniolisli  the  wb.oie 
Christian  fabric,  and  put  the  gospel  of  Jesus  (as  some  alica- 
dy  have  had  the  boldness  to  do)  upon  the  same  footing  with 
tiie  Koran  of  Mahomet,  As  they  set  out  upon  a  principloi, 
which  is  diametrically  opposite  to  the  first  great  principle  of 
the  Bible,  viz.  that  no  man  can  know  God,  or  thr  things 
OF  God,  but  by  his  own  revelation  \  it  is  no  s?rt  of  won- 
der, that  their  dedu6lions  should  contradi6l  its  sublimest 
truths.  It  could  not  be  otherv<'ise  ;  partly  because  these 
truths  were  never  the  objecls  of  reason^  but  of  faith  only  ; 
and  partly  because  the  minds  of  men  are  fallen  and  per\-crt- 
ed,  and  consequently  different  from  themselves  at  different 
times,  as  well  as  contradictory  to  the  minds  of  others  :  And 
this  is  the  surest  proof,  that  can  be,  of  the  jallacy  and  im- 
perfection of  human  reason,  and  in  divine  things  especially. 
Were  this  duly  settled,  we  should  hear  but  little  more  of, 
what  the  world  calls,  rational  religion,  natural  religion,  Sec. 
which  are  just  as  proper  epithets  to  be  joined  with  the  word 
religion^  as  idolatrous^  heathenish^  'kc.  the  notions  to  which 
these  terms  are  applied,  being  alike  the  corrw/^r^^ offspring  of 
human  brains.  They  are  altogether  but  impotewt  stretches 
to  supersede  or  get  rid  of  the  Bible.  But  if  the  gates  cf  hell 
cajinot  prevail  in  such  an  enterprize  ;  the  gates  of  earth  (as 
hath  been  often  the  case)  can  scarce  exped  a  better  fate. — 
''  Light  of  this  sort  (says  Dr.  John  Ed^vardsJ  is  but  the  pro- 
logue to  eternal  darkness." 

All  this,  however,  may  deserve  the  name  of  cunning  which 
(as  Lord  Bacon  calls  it)  is  "  crooked  or  left-haruled  wisdom  ;'' 
but  there  is  not  one  grain  of  true  ^^isdom  in  the  whole  proce- 
dure. For  since  the  Holy  Spirit  is  indeed  God,  and  since  Je- 
hovah  himself  hath  declared  this  for  a  truth  ;  the  blasphemers 
of  his  divinity  can  have  but  a  sorry  account  to  make  with  him, 
when  they  present  the  sum  total  of  their  lives  ar.d  sayings. 
There  is  a  fearful  text  against  them,  wliich,  it  is  presuiued,^ 
'*  all  the  copies  of  the  New  Testament  may  h.'v«  extent  ; 
and  which  if  they  really  believed  to  be  of  divine  authority, 
one  cannot  call  their  hardiness  very  reasGiicble,  though  per- 
haps  it  mav  be  very  confident  and  daring.  It  seems  a  great 
stake  to  venture  ;  and  a  man  must  have  more  courage  than 
Vol.  IL  K  k 


z6%  SPIRIT     or     W  I  S  D  O  M,  &c, 

becomes  a  Christian,  who,  as  such,  dares  to  haz.r.d  any  thing, 
rather  th.in  the  salvation  cf  his  souL  But  this  sud  ha2::rd 
every  man  makes,  who  presuines  upon  the  sufHcicncy  ox  his 
ov/n  reason,  either  without  or  in  contradiclion  to  thfe  revela- 
tion of  Gou. 

•rhoiigh  ignorance  is  certainly  to  be  avoided,  and  tliat 
man  is  brutish  who  desires  not  to  know  ;  yet  it  is  much  to  be 
lamented,  that  people  of  the  finest  parts,  and  those  who  have 
the  greatest  compass  of  human  erudition,  are  most  exposed 
to  tlie  infelicity  of  thinking  highly  of  themselves ^  and  of  be- 
coming dupes  to  their  own  vanity  or  the  splendid  fallacies  of 
the  hu'iian  understanding.  In  proportion,  as  they  can  make 
liies':?  fallacies  shining  and  specious  (which  men  of  wit  and  a- 
bilitiei?  are  always  capable  of  milking,  upon  the  wildest  para- 
doxes and  reveiies  ;)  tliey  are  the  more  liable  to  be  ensnared 
themselves,  as  well,  as  more  dangerous  in  deluding  others. 
Most  of  the  arch-heretics  were  men  of  undoubted  parts  and 
accoHiplishmeFits,  as  to  the  world  :  But  they  sought  distinc- 
tiofihy  those  parts,  invented  new  opinions,  to  create  it,  and 
at  length  becam.e  the  vi6lims  of  their  own  vanity  and  pride. 
It  v.'as  a  just  remark  of  the  excellent  Philip  Henry  ;  "  a  head 
full  of  vain  and  unprofitable  notions,  meeting  with  a  heart  full 
of  pride  and  self-conceit,  disposes  a  man  dire6tly  to  be  an 
atheist,"  Every  body  seems  aciighted  with  a  polished  style, 
the  charms  of  wit,  the  refinements  of  knowledge,  and  that 
combination  of  distributed  ideas  which  is  the  characleristic 
cfFort  of  genius  ;  but  every  body  does  not  see  the  danger 
"U'hich  attends  these  illustrious  qaaliiie?,  not  even  those  who 
possess  them,  nor  how  much  more  mischief  they  are  the  more 
liKely  to  work  (v/uhout  superior  guidance)  and  above  all  in 
sp".  ituui  concerns.  N»)ne  oF  those  things  are  'ivisdom^oc  even 
brar:ches  of  wisdom  ;  because  they  are  and  have  been  employ- 
ed by  men,  whom  common  sense  must  condemn,  to  the  most 
undeniable  follies,  and  for  the  most  miserable  ends.  A  wise 
man  may  possibly  have  them  ;  and  so  may  a  fool.  The  world, 
it  may  be,  will  not  call  him  by  that  name,  who  is  so  endow- 
ed ;  hut  he  must  be  so,  who  knows  not  or  neglects  his  true 
interest.  The  famous  lord  Rochester^  the  fineness  of  whose 
ger.ius  is  undisputed,  thought,  thus  of  himself,  when  he  was 
brrugi.L  to  congider,  with  how  little  wisdom  he  had  used  that 
ge  lius,  Ai:a  graver  men  than  he,  men  pcsscsst'd  of  the  most 
uncommon  crudilicn,  have  lamented  at  last  the  miserable 
P'CSL'tiiticn  of  their  tune  to  pursuits,  which  did  not  make 
them  nio;e  v;isc  and  knowing  for  eternity,  nor  dispose  them 
bc^u^  for  the  enjoyment  of  it.  Cyprian,  a  great  and  a  good 
iiUr,  ur.'cd  to  say.  Give  me  the  master^  meaning;  his  Tertullian  : 
He  had  called  more  wist;K ,  as  Stldcn  and  S'lme  others  did  in 
l.htir  last  days,  for  the  Jjible,  the  Bibic  i  nothing  bui  the  bible! 


SPIRIT  OF  WISDOM,  r<c.  263 
Here  alone  is  truth  witlumt  error,  or  the  danger  of  error; 
but  fine  parts  and  learning,  though  in  the.nsjlvcs  neither  one 
nor  the  other,  have  often  been  eiii^aged  in  th.e  r'jrvico  of  both. 
Error  needs  them  nuicli,  to  make  its-if  plausible  ;  but  truth 
.appears  most  bcaiuiful,  when  stript  of  ail  orni:ncn»s  but  its 
own. 

The   wisest  of  men,  or  rather  God  by  him,  give's  a  strong 
caution,  therefore,  on  this  head — Lean  not  tr/tbific  6-j:r,   un- 
derstanding ;  for  be  that  trustcth  bis  oxvn  benrt  is  a  fool.  Pro  v. 
iii.  5,  and  xxxviii.    26.      True    wisdom,  on    the   contrary,  is 
simple,  purQ,  and    removed  from  the    appearance  of  vanity, 
even    in    natural    things  :    And   the    purest    wisdom    of  all, 
v/h:ch    the    Spirit  of    God    communicates   to    believers,    is 
ctill  more  so.     'I'his  flows  from   God,    who  is  all  i)uriiy  and 
simplicity:   it  is  supported  by  him,  to   the  contempt  of  that 
wisdom   of  fools — dissininlation  and  guile;  it   \s  carried  on 
towards  the  enjoyment  of  a  spiritual  and  everlaRting  interest, 
and  it  ends,  where  folly  never  can  end,  in  the  salvation  of  the 
soul.  The  meanest  peasant,  v.fho  can  speak  his  own  language 
but  imperfe(5lly,   may  through  this    wiovlom  conveisc  dje])ly 
with  God;   not  by   tha  rules  oi  grai:i',nar  indeed,   nor  by  r£\'. 
torical  flourishes,  but  by  (what  is  infinitely  beyond  ti^.ese  poor 
arts)  tiie    language  of  spirits^  v/hich   God  understands,  i\\^ 
heart  feels,  and  ail  heaven  intimately  knows.  Thti  gro:t7iir.gs^ 
liibicb  cannot  6c  uttered^  have  an  eloquence,  wiiicli  njoves  the 
courts   of  glory,   and  the  very  God  of  glory,     'i'herc  is  a  pa- 
thos in  thess,  which  finds  all  languaj^e  poor,  and,  sometimes, 
leaving  it  as    such,  aims   to  convey  itself  by  that  vehemence 
of  spirit  and   life,    which  the   God  of  spirit   and  of  life  both 
loves  and  comprehends.     Here,  tlie  unlettered  clown,  ppsscc- 
sed  of  this  gracious  wisdoui,  soars  beyond  the  leari;ed  aiM  the 
wise  of  this  world,   keeps  better  company  than  they,  talks  a 
more  noble  language,  enjoys-  more  exalted  and  refined  senti- 
ments, feels   higher  sensations,  has  more  just   and  ^encn»us 
gratifications,  takes  more  extensive  views,  est iwatc*' life  and 
time  with  better  reason,  meets  death  with  nio;*<:  courage,  and 
at  length  ent-rs  Into  glory  (where  tiie  comparison  eiitisj  with 
unspeakable  triumph.^   This  is  bis  v;i«dom  ;   not  radically,  but 
iinparted  to  him  :   And  is  it  not  the  vciy  same  wis»lom,  which 
tlie   most   learned   Christians  desire,  above  all  thing*,,  to  oU 
tain?   Most  assuredly  ;  for,  in  fa 61,    there    \s  no  otter.     No- 
thing can  be  truly  wisdonj,  which  dotn  not  render  a  nun  bet- 
ter and  happier  for  tternirv.   Where,  then,  shall  we  ivnd  tn:j, 
except  in  the  RibU  P  By  wiiom  shall  we  obtain  this,  but  /nT  the 
Spirit  of  wisdom  ?   And  ^^bat  are   they,  then,  \Tno  despise  or 
rejea  dotb  P-^-'VUg  answ.:r  is  a  harsii  monosyllabie   m  proud 
€a"'rs;   and  a  man   would  no:   venture  to    utter    it^tjrt   from 
something  better  tliaw  man's  authorit}'. 


264         SPIRIT     OF     W  I  S  D  O  M,  Sic. 

These  considerations  may  afford  some  comfort  to  ignorans 
believers,  who  fancy  themselves  low  in  God's  favor,  becaus 
they  are  low  in  the  reading  of  men's  books  :  Nor  can  they 
give  any  just  cause  of  oiTence  to  the  most  literary  Christians. 
If  these  are  truly  enlightened,  they  see^  that  they  must  sit 
upon  the  same  form  with  the  meanest  believers,  must  lear-ii 
the  same  lessons  from  the  same  divine  Master,  2iX\A  Oeconie 
fools^  in  the  apprehension  of  their  o\^n  sense  and  capacity, 
thai  they  may  be  wise  indeed.  Both  the  one  and  the  other  are 
brought  to  be  convinced,  that  there  is  but  one  wisdom,  and 
but  one  way  of  obtaining  it:  They  have  also  but  one  heart, 
under  the  divine  impression,  in  the  enjoyment  of  that  wis- 
dom. '"''  He,  v/ho  would  be  muchv/ith  God  (which  is  the  on- 
ly w^  of  being  wise)  let  him,  says  Austin,  often  pray  over 
-^nd  read  his  Bible ;  for  when  we  pray,  'wc  speak  with  God  ; 
and  when  we  read,  be  speaks  with  us."  These  are  the  stated 
means  of  obtaining  and  improving  in  this  wisdom.  T'he  tem- 
ple of  God  is  IN  the  believer  ;  and,  be  his  body  wherever  it 
may,  his  soul  may  be  at  church  (as  it  were)  all  the  day  long, 
and  so  pray  ivitbont  ceasijig:  Here  he  may  draw  wisdom 
continually.  In  like  manner,  outward  ordinances  become 
truly  refreshing,  and  (according  to  their  name)  means  cf  grace: 
The  grace  and  the  means  are  together  with  him  ;  and  lie  glori- 
fies God  in  both.  They  consequently  increase  this  wisdom, 
and  establish  it  to  the  end,  through  the  blessing  of  the  Spirit 
ofV/isdem,  For,  as  the  wisdom  is  but  words  without  him  ; 
He  is  the  Spirit  and  Life  to  make  his  own  wisdom  real,  and 
living,  and  spiritual,  to  all  his  people. 

This  Spirit  will  be  ever  known  as  tbe  Spirit  of  wisdom,  be- 
yond the  grave :  When  the  faithful  enter  glory,  they  shall 
kno^jj  even  as  they  are  known  ;  not  by  the  medium  of  sense  or 
sensible  obje6\s,  as  t\\  this  world,  but  by  an  immediate  com-, 
munion  with  their  God,  In  that  pure  and  exalted  state,  the 
faculties  of  their  souls,  now  fettered  and  loaded  with  matter, 
will  doubtless  have  a  manner  of  perception  neither  attaina- 
ble nor  conceivable  here.  They  %vill  see  Christ  as  be  is, 
which  now  they  cannot;  and  shall  ^e  for  ever  like  unto  him, 
which  now  they  are  not.  How  they  will  maintain  an  inter- 
course with  the  spirit  s  in  eternity,  we  can  at  most  but  faint- 
ly imagine  ;  but  certainly  by  syn^.pathies  and  attra6Ilons,  de- 
void of  all  gross  sensation  and  its  mistakes  or  interruptions, 
and  probably  by  that  intuitive  communication  which  good 
men  ol'ten  feel  below,  in  the  impressions  of  grace  upon  their 
souls.  When  they  are  all  spirit,  and  life,  and  holiness,  it  is 
impossible  but  that  they  must  peiceive  and  comprehend  vast- 
ly beyond  the  most  exalted  sublimities  imaginalDle  here,  aiid 
enjoy  a   scope  of  wisdom,    which,  however    remote  from    the 


SPIRIT     OF     V.'  I  S  ]:)  ()  M,  !;c.  265 

infinitude  of  that  attribute  in  God,  v/ill  po3s:blv  be  beyond 
all  comparison  with  the  highest  measure  or  it  in  il'.ii  life,'  and 
even  there  shall  be  p;rowin;ij  through  all  the  successions  of  lin- 
ages of  eternity.  The  objj6l  of  [:nov/!'jd;^c  i ;  infinite  ;  ami, 
therefore,  the  created  faculties  of  knowing,  b'j  they  never  so 
immensely    extended,  will  always  be  infinitely  beneath  it.*" 

*  Thouii^h  it  inay  seem  a  dipjrcssicn  from  the  immediate  suhjc«j\ 
of  this  Essay,  the  serious  reader  will  forgive  11  short  rcllcelion  or 
two  upon  a  pomt,  which  has  often  oppressod,  if  not  depressed,  nui- 
ny  a  serious  mind ;  namely,  the  apparent  inr/i:;nificanr.e  and  minute- 
ness of  its  own  being.  But  the  uimensions  of  the  soul  <  speaking 
after  the  manner  of  corporal  cxiitcnce]  are  not  to  be  considered 
merely  as  commensurate  with  those  of  the  body  ;  for  as  llie  coj^l- 
tations  of  the  spirit  of  a  man  can  act,  and  do  excecdinC;!/  extend 
themselves,  far  beyond  the  measure  and  power  of  tluit  n.ulcrial 
frame,  which  is  its  tcmpcrary  seat  and  residence;  so  it  seenjs 
highly  probable,  that,  when  the  spirit  is  unconfM'ed  by  ^ross  sub- 
stance, it  shall  be  dilated  and  expanded  at  one  time,  or  contratled 
and  compared  at  another,  acccrdinij  to  the  nvjasure  :uh1  operations 
which  God  in  his  love  may  assign  it.  Yet  all  this  may  be  ordered 
as  much  above  the  remotest  approach  to  corporeity  even  in  its  glo- 
rified state,  as  the  mode  of  our  Lord's  glorified  l)ody  ccnfesscdiy 
transcends  all  those  present  conceptions,  which  we  are  at  present 
able  to  form  concerning  the  mode  of  our  own  corruptible  bodies. 
Withrespecl  indeed  to  the  Godhead  and  his  infinitude,  all  m-asurca 
of  being,  so  far  as  we  are  able  to  conceive  of  measures,  may  differ 
little  as  to  him,  however  their  magnitude  or  minuteness  may  strike 
us.  We  find,  however,  in  Scripture,  that  Christ  cast  out  of  one 
individual  man  a  ieg:c7i  of  devils  fLu!;e  viii.  30.)  and  yctSaia::  him- 
self, the  prince  of  the  devils,  is  said  to  u^ork  in  the  hearts  of  the  chiL 
dren  ef  disobedience  ;  and,  if  to  work  in  them,  certainly  to  reside  in 
-or  a6l  upon  them  according  to  the  mode  and  limited  force  of  hishc- 
ing.  But  if  an  evil  and  accursed  spirit  is  capable  of  ?o  much  ex- 
tension in  himself,  and  ofso  diversified  a  capacity  with  respe6\  to 
his  powers  ;  what  have  not  we  to  believe  concerning  the  spirits  of 
just  men  made  perfect^  relative  to  the  greatness  of  their  glorified  ex- 
istence, and  the  vastness  of  then*  abilities  to  shew  forth  the  praisc« 
of  their  divine  Redeemer?  What  can  be  said  against  the  tnlartre- 
ment  of  their  powers,  even  l.ke  these  of  angels,  to  utter  the  won- 
ders of  his  love,  to  worlds  almost  infinite  in  num'oer  and  place,  and 
to  beings  of  glory  and  power  beyond  all  present  conceptions  of 
created  nature?  Who  can  doubt,  but,  if  all  heavL-n  is  to  ring  with 
the  triumphs  o^  Jesus  Imnnrnue/,  tiiat  those,  wi>o  luive  been  the  im- 
mediate occasion  of  his  assuming  that  name  and  character,  ^^ill  be 
the  happy  instruments  of  declaring  tho-e  triumph-,  to  listening; 
myriads  throughout  that  unbounded  rer^non,  and  of  fiiuimp:  new 
?nd  new  mvriads  to  inform  and  commune  with  ui)on  the  bhssfw'^ 
theme  throughout  eternity  ?—.'Tis  indeed  a  ravishing  prospc6;> 
and  lifts  up  the  mind,  above  its  present  narrow  scale  of  bcmg  and 
employment,  to  an  ardent  desire  for  the  fulfilhnent  of  so  muci 


^66  SPIRIT     OF     W  I  S  D  O  M,  &c. 

How  then,  may  the  heirs  oT  saWation  rejoicj  iii  t.bis  unspedka- 
hle  gift^  and  m  the  kdoiable  (jiverl  How  ought -they  to  wor- 
ship and  glorify  Him  ,-  who  sought  them,  when  they  wander- 
ed out  of  the  right  v/ay  ;  who  gave  them  eyes,  to  see  at  once 
their  own  error  ?.nd  his  rc6litude  ;  who  guided  them  con- 
stantly by  is  counsel ;  and  who  finally  receives  rheni  to  his 
dory  !  And  how  mayest  thou  rejoice,  dear  reader,  if  God 
hath  had  mercy  on  thee,  and  made  thee  one  or  this  ha])py 
number!  Thou  wast,  in  time  jeast,  as  a  sheep  going  astray; 
leaving  home  for  a  wilderness,  and  the  earth  whicl)  God  l;ath 
cursed,  for  the  hell  which  God  hath  damned.  '1  hou  mayest 
ti'uly  say,  v;ith  the  antient  Christian  poet, 

erravi  tempore  mu!to\, 

Gens  £57*  ego  fiii^ perversa  nicnie  moratus.% 
Which  may  be  rendered, 

Erring  from  God,  and  in  perversenens  strong, 

A  heathen  once  I  was,  and  erred  long. 
He  brought  thee  to  thy  right  mind.  This  Spirit  of  vjisdoni 
made  thee,  what  thou  wast  not  born, — a  Christian  j  who, 
contrary  to  the  common  notion,  is  a  person  not  to  be  known 
by  his  name^  but  by  his  nature.  He  began,  by  teaching  thee 
thine  ov/n  ignorance,  and  thine  utter  need  of  his  help.  He 
hath  bent,  not  merely  thy  knees  in  prayer,  but  (what  none 
but  his  power  could  bend)  the  stubborn  tempers  of  thy  soul. 
How  often  hast  thou  cried  in  secret ;  "  Lord  save,  or  I  per- 
ish !  I  feel  myself  a  wretched,  blind,  and  worthless  worm; 
without  poiuer  to  do  good  when  X  would,  and  without  w///  to 
do  it  when  I  ought.  I  commit  a  thousand  mistakes  in  njy 
apprehensions,  which  I  could  not  bear  that  men  should  know, 
lest  they  should  esteem  me  for  a  fcol ;  but  they  are  all  known 
to  thee,  even  all  my  straying  and  my  stiipid  thoughts  ;  and 
shall  I,  can  I  presume  myself  to  be  wise  in  thy  siglit,  or  live 
without  dependence  upon  Thee,  O  Thou  Spirit  of  Vyiselom^ 
for  tuition  and  guidance  all  my  days?  Adorable  Conforter^  I 
would  renounce  myself  and  all  the  fancied  powers  of  ray  na- 
ture, and  would  ro// all,  without  reserve,  upon  tiiy  condu6l 
and    truth,  now   and    for    ever,  through   nn'    covenant-head 

bhsfulness  in  itself,  and  of  go  much  usefulness  in  a  more  exalted 
iina  extensive  occupation.  *•  O  my  soul  (may  the  Christian  sr.)  ) 
thou.^jh  now  thou  seeniest  a  mere  atom  or  a  conteiDptilie  littkiiLss 
in  the  ma'ji;nitudc  and  immensity  of  the  creation  ol  God  ;  ytt  be  i.ot 
dismayed  at  thine  ov.  n  meanness  and  insignificance,  as  thonigh 
thou  couidcst  be  slighted  or  forgotten  ;  for  thy  jRcckemcr  is  nugntj, 
and,  as  he  is  the  fulness  which  fillcth  ^dl  in  all,  so  siialt  thou  bt  1  liS- 
ed  up,  far  above  all  earthly  and  contraclcd  measures  of  existence, 
to  b'^Jilled  with  him  and  to  be  like  unto  him  for  ever  and  ever  !" 
:!  C 0 M  M  0 D I A  N  u  s ,  apud  Gave  Bis  t,  L  it. 


POWER.  jrty 

Chri:,t  Jesus  !" — Thou  ciiist  look  back  upon  such  secret  roo- 
iiiviius  as  thcsvj,  ai.d  cansL  remember  too,  that  thcbc  lon^in^g 
and  resignations  ot'  soul  did  not  pass  av/ay  without  stinc  to- 
ken for  good.  At  least  thou  wait  strengthened,  if  not  com- 
forted ,  jhibolduned,  if  not  lifted  up,  to^^o  on  thy  t{uay  rejcic- 
ing.  Go  on,  and  prosper,  blessed  soul :  Tiie  Lord  is  with 
thee.  He  is  the  faithrnl  and  true  witness  ;  and  \\t  neither 
will,  nor  can,  consistent  with  his  own  word,  promise,  and 
oath,  suffer  so  miach  as  one  hair  of  thiiic  head  to  perish,  or 
the  least  portion  of  his  own  grace  to  bj  lost.  O  with  what 
peace  art  thou  privileged  to  live;  with  what  hope  art  thou 
encouraged  to  die  !  Death  can  make  no  change  to  thee,  but 
what  is  for  thy  good:  Death  is  not  the  end  of  thy  nature,  but 
of  thy  sin:  Death  doth  not  destroy  the  least  true  life,  but 
consummates  that  life,  which  is  everlasting,  with  everlasting 
glory.  What  a  gainer  then  is  the  Christian  by  dcatii  I  What 
profit  is  it  for  him  to  die!  Say,  then,  "  Leap,  tuv  soul,  be- 
yond the  utmost  bounds  of  the  everlasting  bills  /"  spring  up- 
wards to  him  that  made  them  ;  mount  to  God,  Father^  Son^ 
ZLud  Sfiirh^  Jehovah  the  Almighty!  Tiiou  hast  said — Lo'yk 
to  me  and  hs  saved — I  look,  and  I  long:  I  have  li^uitcdfor  toy 
salvation^  O  Lord!  Nor  can  I  look,  and  i')Mg,  and  wait  in 
vain.  Thou  hast  kindled  this  holy  lire,  that  the  ilamc  might 
rise  upw^ards  to  thy  glory,  and  warm  my  own  heart  beneath, 
ai^d  enlighten  others  around  me.  O  pour  thy  sacred  oil  upon 
it,  that  it  rnav  rise  higher  and  burn  brighter,  that  it  may  il- 
lustrate chy  praise  and  increase  my  joy,  throughout  eterni- 
ty." So  be  it !    Amen  I 


P     O     W     E     R. 

GOD  is  pleased  to  convey  t*.  the  minds  of  his  people  su:;i 
notices  ol*  his  divine  nature,  as  they  are  ab(«  to  know, 
or  such  as  are  expedient  for  them  to  believe,  by  a  variety  of 
naJT.es  and  attributes.  No  variety,  however,  ex'sts  in  God, 
nor  13  there  any  difference  in  the  divine  perfections  ;  for,  as 
He  himself  is  a  pure,  simple,  and  uncompoundid  being,  all  his 
a6is  and  energies  do  necessarily  flow  in  purity  and  simplicity, 
v/it])out  division  or  separation.  But,  as  our  narrow  canaci- 
lies  cannot  duly  or  fully  consider  him  in  the  mode  of  his  ex- 
istence; he  h-4th  vouchsafed  to  communicate  the  knowicigc 
of  himself,  according  to  the  .node  of  our  f-x'-^encr,  and,  by 
presenting  to  us  tiie  djstinCtions  in  hij   attributes,  hatli  cna- 


-268  P        O         \V        E         R. 

feUd  us  to  reflevSl  upon  the  attributes  theaiselves,  o;ig  by  one, 
with  that  advantage  and  comfort,  which  we  were  not  able  to 
receive  iVorn  an  abstract  view  of  the  whole  together.  For 
though  one  attribute  of  God  doth  inseparably  and  aclualiy  in- 
clude all  tiie  rest  ;  yet  v/e  cannot  understand  it  in  this  repect 
for  our  cdijicaiion^  which  is  the  end  God  proposes  in  all  the 
revelations  of  himself ;  nor  can  we  unite  the  several  a6ls  of 
love,  power,  wisdom,  wiercy,  truth,  justice,  &c.  (as  they  ap- 
pear to  us)  into  one  uncompounded  a61;,  according  to  the  rea- 
lity of  its  existence  in  the  divine  nature.  We  cannot  do  this 
even  in  his  creatures.  We  cannot  comprehend,  respecting 
ourselves,  how  the  five  senses  of  the  body  unite  with  the 
reason,  memory,  will,  and  other  faculties  of  the  soul,  to  pur- 
sue or  complete  any  one  a6lion  ;  nor  see  all  the  colors,  which 
are  occasioned  by  the  refraftion  of  the  same  ray  of  light, 
without  distinction  or  distribution  as  they  are  in  themselves, 
by  one  application  of  our  sight.  When  we  think  of  God's 
justice.,  wc  are  obliged  to  set  it  oiF  (as  it  v/ere)  from  his  mer- 
cy ;  because,  however  the  two  attributes  may  exist  (as  they 
certainly  do)  in  a  perfect  unity  and  without  any  distin6lion  at 
all  in  him,  we  cannot  conceive  of  their  a6lion  in  this  way  to- 
•wards  ourselves  :  We  must  look  upon  each  apart,  or  we  shall 
understand  neither  of  them,  and  perhaps  nothing  right  or 
clear  concerning  their  importance  to  us.  Our  case  is  the 
same  v^^ith  all  the  otlier  attributes  ;  and  if  we  attempt  to  con- 
ceive of  them  in  any  other  rnanner,  we  find  our  minds  bewil- 
dered in  an  inextricable  labyrinth,  and  we  feel  nothing  but 
smazenftent  instead  of  knowledge.  As  our  bodily  eye  cannot 
lake  into  view  all  objects  at  once  ;  so  much  less  can  the  eye 
of  our  minds  behold  the  infinite  author  of  all  obje6ts.  For  this 
reason,  the  Lord  suits  liimself  to  our  apprehensions,  a'vd 
reveals  the  truths  concerning  his  sublime  nature  in  a  manner, 
v;hlch  bears  the  nearest  analogy  to  our  own.  Man,  in  this 
respect,  as  v/ell  as  others,  niight  be  said  to  have  been  created 
in  the  image  of  God  ;  because,  in  his  perfect  state,  he  was  to 
survey  God  after  the  similitude  of  himself,  and  to  consider 
the  mode  of  God's  a6tion  to  him,  according  to  the  mode  of 
his  ov^n  action  in  the  world.  He  had  a  noble  communion 
Avlth  liis  Creator  for  this  end  ;  but  he  lost  it  by  his  transgres- 
sion, and  then  fell  into  tint  spiritual  deatii,  which  had  been 
threatened,  and  which  involved  his  i-.ature  in  darkness,  error, 
and  evil.  His  frame  and  constitution,  however,  were  radi- 
tallv  t]:c  same:  And,  therefore,  when  (iod  revealed  iiimself 
for  redemption,  the  mode  oDiis  instruction  was  accommoda- 
ted, as   before,  to  the  natural  capacity  of  the  redeemed. 

It  seems  proper  to  premise  this  to  shew,  that,  as  all  God's 
attributpii  and  perfe6tions  are  one  in  tiiemseives,  or  rather 
.rtie  In  Lim^  r.o  tl^.ey  arc  not   co7nr.iunicabU  to  any  creatures, 


POWER.  569 

nor  a6t  separately  from  Iilinself.  Whcrevci  any  one  of  Goil** 
attributes  a6U  'speaking  after  the  humnii  conceplioii  of  ihig 
sublime  truth)  there  God  a6ls  :  He  is  his  own  cnergv  ;  and 
his  energ;y  is  himself.  He  is  not  simply  power,  a*  \vc  under- 
stand of  an  attribute  carried  out  into  a6\,  but  adovj  po^xtr  in 
himself,  and  is  the  being  from  whom  whatever  we  know  or 
can  conceive  of  power  primarily  proceeds.  The  same  uiav  be 
said  of  all  his  other  perfcdlions.  From  hence  it  will  follow, 
that  to  whomsoever  these  attributes  and  perfed-^ions  are  a- 
scribed  either  by  the  testimony  of  God  himself  or  of  those  to 
whom  he  hath  revealed  his  will;  tbat  being  is  and  can  be  no 
other  than  God.  Otherwise  the  ascription  would  not  be  true: 
And  God  can  testify  nothing  but  truth.  But  these  very  at- 
tributes and  perfedions  are  ascribed  by  God  himself,  and  by 
rnen  inspired  by  him,  to  one  person  called  the  Son  of  (,od,  to 
another  person  called  the  Holy  Spirit^  and  to  a  third  st\  led 
the  Father  ;  each  of  whom  exercises  those  attributes,  with 
relation  to  men,  in  a  mode  distin6l  from  the  mode  of  the  0- 
thers,  or  with  expresiio^is  of  their  di«tin(5\  and  particular  ac- 
tion. From  whence  it  unavoidably  follows,  that  these  THRLt 
Persons  are  respectively  and  essentially  GoJ  ;  and  yet,  be- 
cause.of  divine  revelation  and  llie  simplicity  of  the  divine  na- 
ture, in  a  manner  inconceivable  bv  us,  but  onl  Godhe-M). 

Among  the  other  attributes,  we  may  coiisider  this  of  Pow- 
er :  And  we  shall  find  that  this  glory  of  the  divine  nature  is 
ascribed  as  such  to  each  of  the  divine  persons,  and  that  it  is 
not  and  cannot  be  so  ascribed  to  any  creature.  It  is  applied 
to  eacl),  as  to  an  indivisible  person  in  that  one  Godhea.l,  \v!io 
is  pure  acl,  essential  power,  and  the  fust  mover  in  all  liiat 
a61s  or  has  power.  Ibere  is  no  pOKver  Init  of  God.  is  an  infal- 
lible axiom  :  And  tbe  tiines  and  the  scaso  is  ibe  Father  bath  put 
in  bis  oijon  powcr^  is  an  axiom  equally  undeniable.  The  fa- 
tbcr,  then,  hath  power,  in  :i  manner  superior  to  all  creatures. 
Christ  also  is  set  in  tbe  beavenly  places  far  above  all  prin- 
cipalitv^  and  po'voer^  and  might,  and  dominion,  and  fvery 
Name  tbat  is  named,  not  only  in  this  ivorld,  but  oho  in  tiat 
wibich  ts  to  come.  Eph.  i.  zi.  Now,  if  Gliiist  be  above  and 
far  above  all  these,  it  will  follow,  that  Christ  hath  a  divine 
nature,  and  so  is  God ;  or  else,  that  He  is  exalted  yj/  abo.e 
God  himself,  because  he  is  exalted  above  every  name,  or  ideu 
that  can  be  raised,  in  the  natural  and  spiritual  world.  Again, 
He  is  styled  the  Head  of  all  principality  and  po^'^er.  Col.  li. 
10.  Rise  as  high  as  possible  in  the  idea  of  rule  and  pO'^cr^ 
he  if  still  the  head  or  spring  of  them  ;  so  that  t.herc  is  no  pow- 
er or  rule  but  of  him  :  And,  if  this  be  not  asserting:  his  civi- 
nity,  words  can  never  declare  it.  The  Spirit,  likewise,  is 
termed  the  Spirit  of  might  ;  because  of  all  power  he  is  ihc 
Yo\.  II.  L  1 


27  o  P        O         W        E         R. 

very  lire  and  s[)irit,  its  energy  and  its  acl.  Hence  the  apos- 
tle sa\  s,  liiat  the  mighty  signs  aitd'isjondcrs  wrought  in  Clirist, 
or  through  Cihi  ist  by  his  disciples,  were  wrought  by  tbt  poni>' 
er  of  tie  Spirit  oJGod.  Rom.  xv.  19.  A6t6  x.  38.  Luke  iv.  14. 
Hcncu,  Jesus  liimself  said,  with  an  asseveration  oi  truth.  He 
that  bclitvttb  on  me^  the  v:orkSy  that  I  do^  shall  he  do^  and  great- 
er  'n^orks  than  these  [outward  m'lrsLclei]  shall  he  do  ;  because  I 
go  unio  my  Father,  John  xiv.  12.  How  is  this  possible  \  He 
exphiiiis  it  ii'terwards  to  his  disciples,  by  reveaTuvi^  co  them 
the  descent  of  the  Holy  Gbisst^  the  Camforter^  the  Promise  of 
the  Father^  wlio  would  endue  theia  with  power,  as  the  poi^er 
from  on  high,  I^uke  xxiv.  49.  And  this  power  was  not  only 
to  be  exercised  in  the  outward  miracles  of  healing  the  sick  or 
rinsins;;  the  dead,  but  in  the  fargr'-utcr  and  more  difiicult  won- 
deis  of  converting  the  soul  and  quickening  the  dead  in  tres- 
pa.«ises  and  siiia.  This  was  the  dtnionstration  of  the  Spirit f 
who  clothed  his  apostle's  words  with  ^ po^iuer^  which  they  had 
not  in  thetnselves,  and  which  not  all  the  creatures  could  give 
them  ;  and  from  hence  he  is  styled  by  the  apostle  the  Spirit 
of  Fo^iVcr.  2  Tim.  i.  7. — liCt  all  this  be  con.sidered  maturely 
and  i'.npartially  ;  and  it  seems  almost  impossible,  upon  the 
ground  of  the  Scripture,  for  any  n^an  to  deny,  that  the  power 
50  eminently  ascribed  to  each  of  the  three  divine  peisons  can 
be  any  thing  less  than  the  power  of  God  ;  and  that  this  ascrip- 
tion of  it  to  them  is  one  of  the  most  forcible  modes,  which 
cculd  be  used,  of  expressing  their  proper  divinity  and  glory. 

Th.e  preachers  under  the  Old  Tuestaraent,  who  generally 
were  tlie  prophets,  confessed  tRat  their  knowledge  and 
strength  in  their  office  came  from  the  agency  of  God's  Holy 
Spirii.  Truly  (says  one  of  them'i  Iain  full  of  pcoser  by  the 
Spirit  of  Jehovah,  and  of  judgment^  and  of  mighty  to  declare 
v.nto  jaoob  his  transgression^  and  to  Israel  his  sin.  Micah  iii. 
8.  'fhy  people  (says  another,  addressing  himself  to  Christ, 
shall  be  willing  in  the  day  of  thy  power  ;  tiie  peculiar  day  of 
Vv'hich  power  was,  when  the  Spirit  of  God  and  cf  Christ  was 
poured  out  upon  his  people  after  his  ascension. 

The  apostles,  under  the  New  Testament,  confessed  the 
same  trutl^  with  their  elder  bretliren  the  prophets.  Their 
hope  of  success  and  of  salvation  abounded  through  the  Power 
oF  tl-.e  Holy  Ghost  ;  and,  therefore,  they  did  not  preach  with 
tlie  enticing  words  cfnian^s  wisdon:^but  in  the  demonstration  of 
the  SriP.iT,  l\\7it  their  [hearers']  faiih  might  not  stand  in  the 
wisdom  cf  men^  but  in  the  power  of  God;  and  l;ence  God 
committed  (as  one  of  them  urged)  this  tt^easure  to  earthen 
vessels^  that  the  excellency  bfthe  power  may  be  o/"GoD,  and  not 
of  us.  2  Co..  iv.  7.  Here  the  terms  God  and  Spirit  are  re- 
tijjiocated,  ai.(!  c\'identl}' predicated  of  the  same  person. 
I'he  power  of  Qd^D  and  tho  power  of  the  Spirit  are  also  one 


and  the  same  thing,  proceeding  from  one  aiul  the  karne  suuicc, 
and  concluding  to  one  and  ilie  same  eiu!.  'i  l.c  n.an,  ul.o 
will  nol  se€  this,  shuts  his  e\  es,  and  iluii  has  an  txecll*.r,t 
caiise  to  complain  of  ihe  darkness. 

An  angel  hath  confirmed  the  testimony  of  propliets  anda- 
poslles,  and  declared,  that  the  gjeatc£t  bieisini;,  which  v.a» 
cvei  shewed  to  the  world,  came  l)y  iheiiupreme  po'.vet  of  liie 
Spiiic  of  tiutli.  The  Holy  Ghost  (.says  he  to  the  Virgin 
Mary  J  stall  ccme  upon  thix^  end  the  powkr  of  thl  llir.m  st 
sbaii  ovtrsbadonu  tbce  ;  tbcrtfore  also  tbat  bol^  tbitigy  <{^i!rl> 
shall  be  born  of  tbcc^  shall  b^  c.ilLd  tbc  -Son  of  God.  Lbkc  i. 
35.  The  POWER  of  tbe  HiGnr.sT  is  charaolerlstic  of  the  a- 
gency  of  that  divine  Spirit,  by  whom  all  tilings  were  made, 
and  who,  as  a  person  in  the  (jocihtad,  is  cssintial /rO^u.y*  This 
text  alone  is  suiiicieiit  to  prove  the  divinity  of  the  iloiy 
Ghost,  and  is  a  two-edged  sword  against  cite  opposcrs  of  the 
trinrcy.  For,  if  the  Holy  Ghcst  be  Uu  power  of  the  hight;$t, 
as  Christians  believe  ;  th^n  is  He  true  and  very  God,  because 
h,"  posseses  the  esBentia.1  attribute  of  the  Godhead  ;  But  if  the 
power  of  the  highest  be  a  beiig,  d'ljlrcnt  from  the  Holy 
Ghost;  then  there  are  eithfU"  t^o  pirsons  mentioned  \\\  the 
text,  or  ^person  and  an  attribuit  (as  the  antichiistiar.s  would 
rather  have  it,j  which  is  equally  against  them.  If  the  text 
speak  of  tvjo  persons^  th^n  the  Spi^rit  and  the  power  i)l  the 
highest  are  distin6lly  or  conjointly  God, —or  there  will  be 
more  Gods  than  one  ;  for  that  which  wa?;  to  be  boi  n,  ih:  v)n^h 
their  agency,  was  tbe  Son  vf  God — of  one  God.  iiui  if  the 
text  speak  oi-2.  person  and  an  /zttribute  ',as  s:.me  iollts  talk,) 
then  the  Holy  Gbost  must  be  tha  person^  and  the  powi  r  of  iL>c 
highest  must  be  the  attribute  ;  and  consequently  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  God  ;  because  tlie  human  nature  of  Christ  was  pro- 
duced by  hiin  and  called  the  Son  of  God  in  the  textfor  that 
reason  :  Otherwise,  to  say  that  Clirist's  human  naiure  was 
born  of  an  alirtbute  (in  the  sense  of  some,  as  a  mere  emana- 
tion) not  only  renders  the  Spirit's  presence  a  n5;Hter  of  nulli- 
tv,  but  contradids  the  propriety  of  the  expression,  which 
aliirms  Christ  to  be  the  Son  of  God.  Will  the  advcisai  ies  s.^y, 
that  the  Holy  Gbost  and  the  po'xcr  are  ?v.'<?  names  for  li.e 
same,  ttttribi'.tc  only?  They  still  cut  vp  ihtir  cause;  tor 
the  H^oly  Ghost,  even  according  to  them,  i  an  It:  i\o  cre- 
ated attribute  in  that  case,  but  the  esser.tial,  underived /7c-/ 
of  tlie  iMost  H'lgb:  And  then  it  wilM-.ecoire  them  to  shew  i!S, 
how  God  is  so^scpurablc  from  his  own  a^l,  as  to  render  it  im- 
proper to  say,  that  the  Iloh  Gbost  is  God  blmseij.  It  ihey 
frrant  this  ;  they  make  a  concession,  which  will  rout  tiieir  o- 
pinion  presently  in  the  hands  of  liie  Cinislia:^;  U  ihey  da 
not  grant  it,  they  strip  God  of  his  attribute  of  p'i-^iV,  ar.d 
J.eave  liiin  (one  cannot  say  what  kind  o!)   nn  iieipLa.  bjiu^ 


17  A  P        O        W        E        R. 

wiiose  energies  are  in  his  emnnatio7Xs^  and  not  in  himself.  And 
this  Futility  and  obscurity  must  be  embraced  by  men,  Vvho, 
pretciidiiig  respect  to  the  Scripture,  o])pose  the  doctrine  of 
the  Tiinity.  On  the  other  liand,  if  the  text  be  considered 
in  the  orthodox  vicvv,  there  is  an  end  of  all  ambiguity  at 
once;  because  th:,^  Holy  Ghost  being  f^f /^^tjow  in  the  Trini- 
ty, who  for  his  operations  in  nature  and  grace  is  called  the 
pO'sxitr  of  the  Highest^  and  who  was  the  agent  to  prepare 
Christ'* s  body  ;  the  human  nature  of  the  Messiah  might  justly 
be  called  the  Son  of  God^  having  no  other  father. 

Not  only  in  this  wonderful  operation  of  producing  the  bo- 
dy of  Christ,  was  the  Spirit  expressly  the  agent  ;  but,  in  the 
whole  ministration  of  Christ  and  his  apostles,  the  same  Spi- 
rit was  with  him  and  with  them.  God  anointed  him  vjitb  the 
Spirit  and  with  po%ver  :  He  was  led  by  the  Spirit  into  the  ivil- 
derness  to  be  tempted;  and  be  returned  ivom  the  wilderness 
by  the  power  of  the  Spirit.  The  apostles  were  endued  also 
ivith power fro?n  on  high  ;  and  they  received  that  power ^  it  is 
expressly  said,  after  the  Holy  Ghost  came  upon  them.  By  this 
power,  they  wrought  miracles  and  wonders  in  the  sight  of 
the  people  ;  and  constantly  declared,  that  they  wrought  them 
bv  the  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  They  could  not  be  mista- 
ken in  the  case  ;  for  the  miracles  were  intended  to  prove  and 
testify  truth:  And  if  this  do6lrine  of  the  Spirit  had  not  been  a 
truth,  it  is  impossible  to  believe,  that  any  miracle  would  have 
been  permitted,  or  could  have  been  effeCied,  to  confirm  it. 

That  x.h\s  power  should  have  been  an  emanation  only,  or  a 
naked  attribute,  seems  as  preposterous,  as  it  is  unscriptural. 
That  a  naked  attribute  should  have  a  mind'm  itself  to  diredl 
it  with  infinite  precision  to  certain  objects,  and  so  take  a  name 
of  a6ling  and  existing  vvitiiout  God  in  it,  is  that  new  creation 
of  human  genius,  which  might  do  well  enough  in  a  poem  or  a 
fable;  but  ill  accords  with  the  plan  of  the  Scripture,  which 
assei'-s,  that  Gt;d  doeth  all,  and  is  in  all.  Or,  that  an  attri- 
bute or  e'T.anation  should  a6l  separate  from  God,  or  rather  be 
not  God  himself  a<i:\ing  according  to  the  notion  of  such  an  at- 
tiibute,  may  pass  with  children,  or  with  those  who  will  own 
any  thing  and  adopt  any  absurdity,  rather  than  embrace  the 
truili  of  revcLnion. 

Lut,  ilat  \.h\s,  power  cfGodis  God  in  the  power^  efi^'etSlingall 
whatever  iS  asciiotd  to  it,  and  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the 
po^XiT  oj  (;. (5/^  because  He  's  God  the  Holy  Gbost^  are  truths 
v/rittejj  wiih  a  sui.-beam  throughout  the  Scriptures,  and  one 
great  ]  (MiiL  of  their  harmony  from  beginning  to  end.  Nor 
coula  iht  re  have  been  conceived  a  more  fo!ciblc  or  emphatic 
mode  of  asseiting  the  divinity  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  than  that 
which  the  ^>cri|;tLi'es  use,  by  applyini;  to  \\\^  pcrscn^  in  the 
jriost  abstra6l  sense,  the  attribute  of  ^JC'tt'fr.      in    this  sensc^ 


O         W         E         R. 


iy 


povjer  is  not  ^ principle  uctcd^  but  pure  act  itself,  "wl.icl)  a6\ 
hath  no  cause  oi  tnd  oiu  o:  its  own  lutmc,  l.ut  cfTcji^s  every 
thing  agitecibly  to  it.      But  as  this  is  or  can  ho  prcdicahle  on- 
ly  oi  Gcci^  power,  then,  is  Gt  d  himself,  and  is  act Di.ijngly  u- 
«ed  by  our  L  )id  to  signify  the  divine  nature  ;  ye  slall  sec  the 
Son  oj  VUJ7I  sitting  on  t/bc  rig/ 1 -banc/ of  Power.  Niatkxiv.  6z. 
To  say  ot  him  in  this  view  that  He  is  the  Power,  aiul  the  pow- 
er of  God^  is  only  calling  hin-.  Goa  b)  ar,otbcr  name,  which  nair.e 
properly  beloi^gs  to  God  alone.   There  is  rio  power  but  of  God: 
And  where  the  power  o!  God  is  displa)cd,  tlicre  God  is  mani- 
fesiatively  in  the  power.  I'hecallingol  God  b)  the  name  of  any 
attribute,  or  the  applying  any  attribute  to  either  of  the  per- 
sons in    the  Godhead,  is  ascribing  the  infinite    perfe(!^iori  of 
that  attribute,   and  a  most  strong,  though  indire^l,  asseitlon 
of  the  essential  divinity  of  him,  to  whom  it  is  applied.  When 
the  apostie,  for  instance,  pronounces,   that  God  is   love  ;  no 
n?nner  of  speaking  (among  men)   could  glorify   that  benign 
attribute  with   more  force  of  exj)res^ion,  on   the  one  hand; 
nor,  on  the  other,  shew,  that  love^  originally  and  essentially, 
is  God  himself,  and  one  with  the  truth  of  his  being.     And  if 
it  be  said,  that  God  is  ponver^  or  that  the  Holy    Ghost  is 
powcr^  in  the  same  essential  manner  that  he  is  love  ;  wc  may* 
invert  the  ternss,  if  we   phase,  and    r.flnm,   that    tie   p<  Wtr 
is  God^   that  tbe  power  is  the  Bo/y  Gkcst^  that  the  Holy  Ghost, 
therefore,  is  God ;  yet  the  proposition  is  still  the  same,  con- 
taining, under  these   reciprocations,  cnc  inseparable  trutli. 
The  power,  ascribed  in  this  essential  m.anner,  to  God  and  the 
Holy^  Spirit,  is  an  invincible  argument  of  divinity.     It  would 
be  impious   to  say  to  a   creature.  Thine  is  the  /kingdom^  the 
pOHver^  and  the  glory:   And  yet   these  /wo  last  attributes  in 
particular,  which  are  the   principle  of  the  first^  are  often  ap- 
plied to  the  Holy  Spirit.      The  word  God  is  a  narr.c,  indeed, 
in  which  all  the  other  conceivable  attributes  unite  collecSlive- 
ly  ;  but  neither  this  o^ powcr^  nor  any  other  of  them,  in  their 
essential  form,,  can  possibly  be  applied,  and   never  were    ap- 
plied, to  a  mere  creature. 

From  all  this  it  appears,  that  the  Spirit,  r.nd  this  attribute 
©f  povv'er,  are  so  often  joined  together  and  reciproc::tcd,  on 
purpose  to  declare,  that  Tin  pouter  btlongctb  t.nto  God,  the  Spi- 
rit of  God  is  the  God  of  all  power  to  efTedl  the  salvation  of 
ids  people.  Derivative  power  could  not  accomplish  this 
task;  and  this  sort  of  power  is  carefully  e.xj>loded  in  the 
word  by  God  himself.  7 bis  m^as  ibe  M^ord  of  JT.uvV ah  unto 
Zeruhbabel,  saying,,  Not  by  might .  nor  by  poiver,  [evidently 
meaning  human  might  and  power]  but  by  my  SPIRI  I,  iaitb 
Jehovah  Sabaotm.  Zech.  iv.  7.  What  could  more  strong- 
Iv  have  cut   down  all  the  pretended  power  of  the  creatures  f 


POWER. 

iat  coiiIJ  more  vehemently  assert  the  dlvinitv  of  the  Spi- 
/T,  the   Creator  ? 

If  we  consider  the  efFe6ls  of  power,  ascribed  to  the  Spirit, 
and  with  the  Scripture  view  him  as  their  cause;  we  must 
still  be  further  convinced  of  his  divine  omnipotence  and  glo- 
ry. The  /promises  of  God  concerning  tiiese  are  so  manv  de- 
clarations and  prophecies,  which  are  conlirmedby  their  fuliill- 
ment  upon  fad.  He  hath  do/ie  whatever  was  W<3!'of  hi\n,  and 
brought  down  as  much  as  could  be  possessed  of  the  truth 
of  God,  into  the  knowledge  and  experience  of  man. 

By  the  Spirit  God  garnished  the  heavens,  job.  xxvi.  13. 
The  same  Spirit  made  man^  and  v/as  the  breath  of  the  Al- 
mighty^ ^ivhich  gave  him  life.  Job  xxxiii.  4.  He,  therefore,  is 
called  Jehovah  Alehim,  who  breathed  this  life  into  man. 
Gen.  ii.  7.  He  was  also  promised  in  the  prophets,  as  the 
great  rcnewer  of  the  spiritual  Vv^orid,  as  x.\\q  J'ree  Spirit  to  re- 
cover from  the  thraldom  of  sin,  and  as  the  great  teacher  of 
the  house  of  God :  And  all  this  we  find  him  upon  fa(51;  in  the 
^sew  Testament.  The  miracles  were  v>'roug]u  by  him,  as  the 
jinger  o/Gsd;  souls  were  converted  by  him,  as  l\ni po'wcr  of 
God  ;  and  h.e  everlasting  is  bestowed  by  him,  as  \.ht  Spirit  of 
God.  He  is  the  blessed  Paraclete  or  Advocate^  who  carries 
on  the  cause  6i  Chiist  u^.-on  eai th,  by  various  divine  opera- 
tions in  the  hearts  of  hjs  people,  and  who  pleads  their  cause 
in  heaven  beloic  the  throne.  He  enables  his  ministers  to 
perform,  or  be  the  means  of  performing,  far  greater  works 
than  any  outward  miracles  by  raising  the  dead  in  sin  at  their 
preaching  of  his  gospel, and  edliying  his  church  through  their 
insuunientality.  It  is  the  power  of  this  Spirit,  or  tiiis  Spi- 
rit of  power,  which  breathes  in  their  breath,  and  goc;5  forth 
in  it  and  v/iiii  it  to  revive  the  sinner's  soul.  It  w^as  this 
sublime  power,  which,  in  every  age,  invigorated  the  re- 
deenttd  to  witlistand  tlie  raye  ot  the  woild,  and  to  tread 
Sitan  under  their  feet.  He  it  vv^as,  who  supported  them 
in  that  gxi^^t  fight  oj' afflictions  vi^hich  mere  professors  would 
treii.ijie  to  view,  but  wiiich  b)^  the  '"'•  noble  army  of  martyrs" 
was  thought  but  light  and  momentary,  and  in  some  cases 
sought  alter  with  perhaps  too  much  avidity.  They  courted 
the  crown  of  murtyrdom  with  greater  zeal,  than  the  ancient 
Gieeks  pursued  the  crown  of  triumph  at  the  Olympic  games. 
I'liey  strove  for  the  mastery  in  a  strength  very  superior  to 
their  own,  and,  in  the  same  strength,  obtained  the  prize  of 
their  high  calling.  To  this  very  day,  we  see  believers  trium- 
phing over  death  and  the  grave,  ar.d  borne  up  agiiinst  the  c- 
vils  within  and  witliout,  nr.conquered  and  untonc|uerabie. 
And  what  should  give  tliis  immortal  vigor,  but  that  ever-liv- 
ing Spiiit,  vvli.j  is  all  power  and  immortality  ?  What  should 
dicsipate  the  nicst  av/ful   gloon:  of  drooping  nature,  but  this 


Spirit  of  the  Almighty,  who  created  at/irst,  and  who  only 
can  rjplenish  or  restore  ?  Who  is  aLlc  to  do  all  those  ihniga 
i:i  the  waild,  u.id  in  his  people  tl-.rouchout  the  world,  but 
thiit  divhie  Spirit,  who  is  Jjhovah,  Gud  over  all,  llesic-d  for 
ever  ? 

Thus  we  see,  that  the  dechrations,  proph'.Tica,  promises, 
and  facU,  recorded  in  Sciipture  Concerning  tlie  lloiy  opifii, 
uniformly  concnr  in  the  attestaiion  of  his  divinity.  We  find 
it  confirmed  also  by  the  people  of  Ciodin  every  a^5c,not  in  o- 
pinion  only,  but  in  ciiperience  and  enjoyment  i  and  we  aic 
assured,  tiiat  it  is  to  have  this  confirinaiion  to  ll.e  end  of 
time,  and  that  there  shall  be  witnesses  of  this  truch  :n  tlic 
world,  as  Ion?;  as  the  world  shall  enda.e.  Toe  promhc  [/.  c, 
of  the  Spirit]  //  unto  you  (said  St.  Pcicr  to  tiie  Jevvs)  and  to 
your  children^  and  to  ALL  ihat  art.  afar  oi  ?,  even  as  many 
as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call.   A 61s  ii.  39. 

And  what  is  this  c<«//,  but  that  eirechual  v/ord  of  power, 
with  which  the  Holy  Spirit  penetrates  the  human  heart? — 
'i'he  soul  is  dead  in  sin;  the  word  comes  from  some  instru- 
ment or  other,  and  says,  Live  I  There  is  noihin;^  in  such  a 
word,  considered  as  a  word,  which  can  produce  any  effecl.  A 
man,  a  minister,  an  angel,  might  traverse  the  church-yard, 
and  call  up  the  dead  from  their  graves  by  saying  the  word 
live  over  them,  with  more  case  (because  it  is  a  less  work)  than 
they,  by  saying  the  word  live^  or  any  other  words  to  that  cf- 
f-26t,  to  a  congregation  of  people  dead  in  soul,  could  induce 
their  conversion.  People  often  think,  that  it  is  the  multitude 
of  words,  or  the  strength  of  argument,  which'  converts  sin- 
ners. But  v/hat  was  the  force  of  argument,  Vv  hen  Christ  said 
to  Mcittbc'jj^  Follow  me  1  Exa6lly  the  same,  as  when  he  said 
to  the  dead  son  of  the  widow  of  Nain^  Arise!  The  ohjecis 
were  different,  but  the  power  was  one.  If  there  was  any 
jvreater  exertion  in  the  one  case  than  in  the  other,  it  was 
shev/n  towards  Matthew  ;  because  to  change  the  state  of  thvj 
soul  itscif,  must  necessarily  be  a  far  superior  work,  than  to 
return  the  soul  a.^ain  to  occui)y  its  body.  Vv  iierc  was  ths 
skill,  the  eloquence,  or  povv'er,  in  St.  Pi-tcrs  sermon  at  th.e 
day  of  Pentecost?  He  was  an  illiterate  man,  ([uite  um-.c- 
qu'ainted  with  the  manageuients  of  the  schools.  He  had  never 
seen  the  great  world,  but  only  had  followed,  till  about  two  or 
three  years  before,  the  solidary  trade  of  a  Hjhennan,  and 
therefore  knew  not  hor/  to  address  with  artifice  the  passions 
of  men,  or  to  lead  a  multitude  by  their  eyes  and  eais.  We 
have  the  sermon  before  us,  to  this  day;  and  wc  cao  see  no. 
thing  in  it  of  what  men  admire  in  orations.  It  only  contains 
some  plain  matters  of  faa,  in  the  plainest  aiid  siu^plest  Ian- 
guage:  And  these  are  delivered  with  all  p:.:sibls  brevity.— 
Tho^uf-h  ic  mav  be  said  of  the  apostle  v.ith  mjre  truth tiiun  it 


a;  6  P         O         W        E         R. 

was  of  Phocion  the  Athenian^  "  that  his  words  were  to  be  es- 
timated like  coins,  from  the  intrinsic  vahic  of  the  metal,  not 
from  the  bulk  ;"   Yet  how  could  such  a  discourse  have  such  an 
amazing  effecl;  as  to  win  three  thousai/d  souis  at  once   to  the 
faith    of  Christ  ;  when,  it  is  not  im.p^ssible,    many  of   them 
had,  but  a  little  while  before,   importuned  /^//^/^  to   crucify 
him  \   We  shall  find,  in  tlie  book  of  the  Acts^  where  this  and 
many   like  facls   are  recorded,   that  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  fell  upon   the  hearers,  and  that  it  was  the  Lord  who 
added  to  the  church  daily  such  as  should  be  saved.     It  was  no 
more  by  the  apostle^s  cwn  power  or  holiness  (as  he  said  upon 
another   occasion)    that   this  vast  draught  of  spiritual  fishes 
was  taken  at  one  throw  of  the  gospel-net  ;  than  that  the  lame 
man^  by  his  mere  speaking,  was  made  whole,  or  Dorcas  rai«ed 
from  the  dead.     The  apostles  well   knew  where   the  strength 
of  the  argument  lay,  whicli  could  convert  sinners  to  God,  and 
declared  it  to  be  in   the  secret  power  of  the  Holy    Ghost.— 
They,  therefore,  did  not  aim  to  speak  their   own  words,  but 
the  words  which  the  Holy  Ghost  taught  them,  who  only  could 
give  de77ionstration  of  the  truth  to  the  mind,  and  carry  it  home 
with  po^Ji)t:r  to  the  heart.    To  have  used  human  skill  upon  ihc 
occasion,  they  knew  well  enough  would  have  been  that  igno- 
ratio  elencbi^  that  mistake  of  the  point  in  hand,  which  would 
have  concluded  in  nothing  for  the  hearers,  and  produced  only 
shame  for  themselves.   They  had  too  much  concern  for  men's 
souls  to  tickle   their  ears,    and  too  deep  a  sense  of  their  im- 
portant errand,  to  play  with  words.     They  spake  as  the   Spi- 
rit gave  them  utterance  ;   and  the  power  of  ti:e  Spiric  attend- 
ed all  their  words,  rendering  them  the  means  of  faith  and  sal- 
vation to  as  many  as  He  himself  had  ordained. 

Though  the  wonderful  effusion  of  this  holy  Comforter  has 
ceased,  so  far  as  regards  external  miracles  and  the  more  sen- 
sible operations  ;  it  is  by  iiis  povv'er,  even  now,  that  souls  are 
awakened  to  life  and  called  forth  from  the  grave  of  sin.  In 
proportion. as  n.inisters  are  led  to  depend  upon  and  acknow- 
ledge him,  and  in  proportion  as  they  are  truly  called  and  or- 
dained by  him  and  according  to  his  will  ;  is  the  succe&s  of 
tlicir  nrinistration  and  labor. '^   buch  gracious  souls  are  above 

*  This  is  one  great  proof,  which  faithful  ministers  alone  can 
venture  to  offer,  concerning-  the  truth  of  their  ov.n  mission,  or  o  the 
certainty  tliat  the  Holy  (ihost  \\i^\.\\  not  jtt forsaken  the  i;arth.  In 
these  days  of  bla5phei.iy,  when  ^vorldly  men  and  worldly  ministers 
presume  v/ith  op^n  front  to  deny  the  agency  of  God  s  Spirit  upon 
tiie  hearts  of  men,  only  becau^-e  they  l.ave  not  felt  it  upon  their 
own  (vvhlcli  certainly  is  a  very  wise  reason  for  contraciiciing  the 
■word  and  church  of  God  upon  the  subjetl  •)  it  behoves  those,  who 
kno\vthc:ir  calling-,  to  miist  the  nr-.v-e  strenuously  on  the  necessity 
of  that  operation,  without  which  men  are  and  can  be  no  more  Chris- 


P  O  W  K  U.  ,yy 

phy'nig  the  orator  and  descending  to  tl.c  low  solicitude  of 
pleasing  niortah  like  tb.emsclvcs  :  Their  great  dccire  is  n> 
please  God,  and  to  put  thenisclves,  as  much  as  may  be,  out  ot* 
the  question.  If  the  work  succeed,  be  it  cither  throuj;h  thc;u 
or  others,  they  rejoice  i  and  they  will  be  exceedingly  glad,  if 
souls  are  brought  home  to  Christ  by  other  men,  when  the/ 
themselves  (like  Peter)  bavc  toikd  all  tb:  r/i^bt  and  ka'j: 
caught  nothing.  They  arc  sensible  oif  this  one  trutli,  that, 
v/erc  they  to  preach  ten  thousand  years  to  ten  thousand  cimes 
ten  thousand  people,  with  all  the  eloquence  of  Demosthenes, 
or  of  St.  Paul,  or  of  angels  themselves,  they  should  not  bcd- 
ble  to  bring  one  soul  in  reality  to  Cod,  even  t]iuu;;h  all  thcso 
people  should  profess  to  receive  their  word,  an»l  to  be  de- 
lighted in  them  as  their  teachers.  They  are  convinced,  that 
they  might  as  soon  stop  a  torrejit  with  one  of  their  fiiigcri, 
as  stop  the  course  of  sin  in  a  man's  licart  by  any  of  ihtir  en- 
deavours. They  see,  that  the  things  of  God  have  a  reach  fur 
above  all  tlic  capacity  of  man,  and  that  though  God  conde- 
scends, to  use  them  as  Iiis  instruments  ;  it  ii  chiefly  for  the 
purpose  of  shewing,  hoTo  strong  his  avn  grace  is^  when  he  caii 
make  it  efieflual  to  life  eternal  in  their  weak  hands.  Tljc/ 
feci  it  their  duty  to  go  forth  in  his  name,  anJ  to  rely  upon 
his  strength,   perouaded  that,   without  him,  ibiy  crdy   Lcat 

tians,  than  statues  of  wax  or  of  stone  can  be  creatures  of  life  and 
consciousness. — "  How  many  souls  have  been  awakened  under  my 
**  ministry  to  the  knowledge  of  God?  Jrlow  many  seals  ci.n  I  shew 
"  of  my  vocation?  Who  has  been  quickened  from  the  death  of  siu 
^  toalifeof  grace  and  holiness,  through  my  preachir.g  ?  And  v.ho 
"  has  been  edified  in  the  most  holy  fi'.lth  of  my  master  Chr:^t,  by 
»'  the  blessing  of  God  on  my  labors?" — These  are  the  questions, 
which  fuithfvd  men  v/ill  ask  of  their  own  hcart:i  ;  and  such  n-en  on- 
ly v/ill  be  most  deeply  solicitous  of  the  salvation  of  tUL-ir  hearers,  .1- 
bovc  all  considerations  of  the  earthly  advantages  w.'.ich  may  be 
drawn  from  them. 

In  a  word  ;  those  are  very  ill  qualified  to  trcr.t  upon  the  corrup* 
tions  of  ethers,  and  much  less  to  draw  sinisl'.r  insinuations  lioni  u- 
ny  pretended''  Corruptions  of  Christianity,"  who  either  by  h!e  or 
doarinedo  dempnstrate,  that  they  know  but  Ihtle  or  noiliinK  ot 
their  own.  Thelre  is  a  pride  ef  understanding,  ^nd  a  conceit  of  a- 
bilities  in  all  mcni  if  their  mental  attainments  are  ever  so  htiie  u- 
bove  the  vulgar,  atjd  proportionally  increasing  with  the  poor  opjn;cu 
and  applause  of  tl^ir  fellow-worms,  which  nothing  but  divme  grace 
can  subdue  to  the 'obedience  of  Christ:  But  where  these  corrup- 
tions are  not  subdued,  the  greater  the  man  s  talents  are,  l.ie  more 
error  and  spiritual  folly  will  he  usually  produce;  as  the  nchcst 
soils  maintain  the  rankest  wee:'.L^,  when  not  under  O.uc  cu/.ivatiou 
and  restraint. 

Vol.  II,  H  ra 


278  P        O        W        E        R. 

the  air,  aiul  raise  a  transient  and  a  dying  sound.*  Invigora- 
ted by  hiai,  they  plead  from  ihe  Iieart  for  God  ;  and  God 
usually  honors  them  by  making  their  words  all  life  and  power 
to  the  heaits  of  his  people,  who  truly  receive  tliese  words, 
and  who  v/ere  appointed  to  receive  them. 

*  Neither  tliis  doctrine,  nor  that  of  eleSlion,  tends  to  rr;ake  those, 
v/ho  are  really  inllucriCcd  by  it,  idle  CTid  ir, different,  but  the  con- 
trary. Those,  who  have  been  iiiost  sensible  of  the  worth  cf  these 
truths,  h.ave,  beyond  comparison,  been  most  diligent  in  their  v/crk, 
most  earnest  v/ith  God  for  the  success  of  it,  ana  n:ost  happy  in  the 
attendance  of  that  success.  The  icason  is,  they  are  not  human 
truths,  or  truths  of  man's  invention,  but  of  God  and  of  his  revela- 
tion. They  were  maintained  by  Chrijst  and  his  apostles,  by  the 
iiiost  excellent  of  the  fathers,  by  holy  men  in  ail  ages,  and  by  the 
reformed  church  (for  the  moi;t  part)  in  particular  down  to  this  age. 
One  is  ahnost  astonished,  therefore,  to  find  so  candid  and  sensible 
ft  man,  as  irlontes^.uieu^  among-  the  herd  of  rude  declamiers,  in  at- 
taching the  doclrlnes  of  grace.  "  from  the  ina6\ivity  of  soul 
(says  he  springs  the  IMahottetan  doeirine  of  predestination,  and 
from  this  doctrine  of  predestination  springs  the  ina^'iivity  of  soul. 
Th)  i,  they  say,  is  in  the  decrees  of  God  ;  they  must,  therefore,  in- 
dui.qe  their  repose."  Spirit  of  Laws,  Book  xxiv.  c.  14.  It  is  suf- 
ficient ta  refute  his  c.onclusicn  by  a  higher  authority.  Be  olircys  a- 
houndlng  says  St.  Paul)  in  the  vjork  of  the  Lord,  forasmuch  as  ye 
KNOv/  that  jour  labor  is  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord.  A  fair  arr^ument 
for  the  use  o^  the  means,  when  the  endh  certain  through  the  use  of 
them.  Hov/  so  masterly  a  writer  could  slide  into  the  absurdity  of 
confounding-  cause  and  effect,  as  he  dees  by  rcnderin.c^  reciprocally 
the  one  principle  to  be  the  spring  of  the  other,  c^.nnct  be  accounted 
for,  but  by  the  triumph  of  prejudice  in  this  case  over  the  under- 
standing. In  fa 61,  this  truly  ingenious  man  was  a  better  civilian 
than  divine,  aiid  understood  the  spirit  of  human  laws  v»ith  great- 
<»r  accuracy  than  the  spiiit  of  true  Christianity.  Otherwise,  he  had 
not  unhappily  jumbled  all  religions  (as  they  are  falsely  term.ed  al- 
most together,  and  made  the  true  religion  itself  the  tool  and  crea- 
ture of  human  polity.  See  the  xxiv.  and  xxv.  Books  of  the  Spirit  of 
Laws,  To  call  as  he  dots  the  do6>rine  of  predestination  by  the 
odious  name  of  Mahcmctcn^  is  abusive  and  ur.hccv.ming  so  great  a 
wi'lter  ;  unless  it  were  a  doc\rine  peculiar  to  the  Mahometans^  v/hich 
he  well  knew  it  war,  not,  but  that  it  is  as  old  as  revelation  itself.  It 
is  the  more  burprising,  after  his  great  approhition  cf  the  Stoics,  who 
v/ith  the  Mahometans,  held  the  doi'Tlrine  in  that  exceptionable  m.an- 
ner  which  Christi;ins  do  not,  to  the  exclusion  cf  providence.  *'  Ne- 
ver (ri:*ys  he)  were  any  principles  more  v/ortl)y  cf  lum>an  nature, 
aiu'l  more  prober  to  form  the  good  man,  than  those  of  the  Stoics: 
And  if  I  could  for  a  moment  cease  to  think  that  I  am  a  Christian,  I 
should  not  he  able  to  hinder  myself  from  ranking  the  destruction  of 
thesecV  of  Zen-^  among  the  misfortunes,  that  ha-*  e  hefgilen  the  hu- 
man race."  The  re  st  of  tliir,  x  chap,  of  the  xxiv.  Took  is  little 
else  than  a  high  p.incgyric  upon  the  virtues  of  stoicismj  and  cf.erg. 


P        O        W        E        R.  z-i) 

This  Power  of  the  holy  SpiiiL  ii  a  G;lor'.ous  attribute  lor 
the  true  believer.  He  sees  what  need  Uicre  is  ot  i:  to  keep 
h'nn  from  falling,  and  to  carry  him  on  uoni  duy  lo  day.  'I'lic 
promise,that  in  waiting  upon  God  he  shall  rcicmb::  strcn^'.b^ 
if  no  idle  promise  to  him  ;  for  he  constantly  feels  a  nctcssi.y 
for  fresh  supplies  of  immortal  powji •,  havii.y;  notiiing  of  his 
own  to  oppvose  against  his  enrmits,  or  to  move  one  step  t  j- 
wards  heaven.  Hi«  heart  v/ould  faint,  and  i;is  hopes  fkil,  but 
for  the  ever-present  help  of  kis  powerful  Cor.iforter.  H« 
sees  (what  worldly  men  cannot  see)  innumerable  didici.ilics 
and  foes  to  overcome  all  the  way  to  Ood  ;  he  finds  :t  a  con- 
stant warrare  without,  and  as  constant  a  fighting  within  ;  he 
surveys  his  own  puny  might,  and  his  heart  is  ready  lo  sink 
like  a  stone.  It  would  sink,  did  not  iho  gracit)us  ham!,  wiiich 
held  up  Peter  in  the  sea,  hold  him  uj)  also,  and  keep  him  iroin 
drowning.  Then  he  takes  the  last  rt-fiige  of  believers.  He 
cries  out  with  them,  in  the  view  of  all  his  corruptions,  ?.nd 
snares,  and  adversaries,  0  our  Gorf,  ive  ba'jc  no  mi^bt a^ti'mst 
ttis  great  cGvipany  that  cometb  arrninst  us  ;  r.cirbcr  ^kow  m-c 
^jcbat  to  do  ;  but  our  eyes  are  upon  tbcc  !  a  Chron.  xx.  12. 
And  what  is  the  consequence?  H^  hears  the  voice  of  the 
Spirit  in  his  word,  saying.  Be  not  afraid  nor  disKinyid  by  r.-^- 
son  cf  this  great  multttiide  ;  for  the  halt le  is  ttot  y cur's,  bi:t 
God's,  \N'h^w  the  believer  caw  make  God  his  strength,  the 
battle  is  as  good  as  won  :  The  great  fi^iu  is,  to  keep  on  cor- 
ruptions, till  the  soul  can  get  under  the  Lord's  banner.  Here 
he  fights  to  purpose  and  assuredly  prevails. 

In  the  di&culties  of  life,  we  are  prone  to  double  them,  by 
taking  them  all  upon  ourselves.  We  are  not  able,  in  our 
own  might,  properly  to  sustain  or  master  the  least  trouble  ; 
and  our  usual  object,  in  trying  to  get  rid  of  it,  is  mt;rely  nur 
ovin  eas.'-  Too  often  we'forgct  •a^^^  sent  it,  or/;r  ^^bai  it 
was  sent  :   And,  hence,  we  neither  gl.)ri:y  God  in  ii,  nor  rcup, 

a  striking;  contradiaion  to  the  lazy  efiVas,  uhith  he  suppcsts  in  a- 
Rother  place  must  rt-xilt  from  i.rccl-istinhiicn.  Le  i;ssu_ti>  r.crc, 
that  rank  fatalism  did  not  ext-rminatc  virtue,  but  promcttd  il  .n  '  ..c 
hi-hest  degree  next  to  Christianiiv.  Hcnv  tnen  whs  it  po-sib.c  lor 
him  to  think,  that  the  do-trme  of  pr-dcstinat.on  c.c«.ervt(.  tc  Le 
branded  v/ith  the  word  Mahometan  ?  iiow  could  heDVoai  behc  v:.ks 
that  this  principle,  founded  as  it  is  on  provuknce  and  net  on  b.:i.a 
indurate  ^tte,  mnsl  nece...ir;iy  he  more  a6\:v.  and  ^'rS^^^  ^'f^^ 
persuasion,  without  hope  or  cerUunty  on  the  one  uand-  or  iu»oi  "« 
ideas,  ofari-id,  dirk,  and  inexorable  rule,  on  tne  other  Ji  ir>/- 
ti:m  could  be  alert  .as  he  vehemently  t'.ssiires  us)  in  tU  cause  o  ur- 
tue:  what  reason  conld  he  have  f,iven  ;  whu  ^"^  ^?X^^A 
that  O^rUtlanlt',  should  not,  at  irnst,  be  eMUaliv  so  ?  Ih^t  n  ;!*••' ^^^ 
inqnitelv  .i.r.alert :  witness  the  histories  of  tnetwo  profcsMon*. 
and  the  con:luc"t  of  philosophers  aiid  Chiibliauo. 


iSo  P        O        W        E        R. 

ns  we  ought,  any  spiritual  improvement  for  ourselves.  We 
never  bad  a  sorrow  or  temptation,  but,  if  we  had  brcuglu  it 
to  our  God,  we  might  have  been  the  wiser  or  the  belter  for 
it  as  long  as  we  live.  Our  very  slips  and  falls,  with  this  ma- 
nagement of  grace,  v.'ouid  iiave  made  us  stronger  and  more 
upon  our  guard  for  the  time  to  come.  But  we  too  often  en- 
counter trials  in  our  own  strength,  and  especially  if  we  think 
them  small ;  and  then  our  trials,  even  the  least,  bring  us  down 
with  grief  and  trouble.  The  sorrows  of  a  believing  soul,  in 
this  respect,  no  unbeliever  can  know.  The  troubles  of  his 
inind  are  more,  from  what  the  world  cannot  see,  than  from 
what  it  c:in.  The  making  Go,d  our  strengch,  or  reposing  our- 
selves upon  his  holy  arm,  is  no  slight  bu3ines*5,  but  the  hard- 
est work  in  the  world.  It  is  easy  to  believe  a  matter  out  of 
trial  ;  and  so  it  is  for  people  to  talk  of  storms  and  shipwrecks 
in  a  warm  room  upon  shore:  But  let  evil  spirits  or  corrup- 
tions blow  like  the  winds  ;  let  the  floods  of  ungodly  men  beat 
on  every  side;  and  then,  if  faith  hath  rot  ^xed  the  house 
upon  the.  rock,  down  it  v/ill  fall.  There  is  but  one  support 
in  the  case,  and  that  support  is  at  the  foundation,  li this  be 
not  right,  ail  the  rest  will  scon  be  found  v/rong.  And  even 
where  it  is  right,  the  tempest  is  not  pleasant,  although  the 
soul  be  safe.  It  may  be  shaken,  though  it  stand;  and  so  sha- 
ken, as  to  put  the  trenibling  inhabitant  in  fear  of  his  life*  It 
is  a  shrewd  sign,  that  a  man  doth  not  know  his  own  heart, 
who  makes  I'ght,  and  talks  light,  of  temptations  and  trials: 
For,  if  he  saw  the  weakness  v/ithin  and  the  strength  v/ithout, 
he  would  shrink  within  himself  at  the  sense  of  the  danger. 
Bravocs  in  common  life  are  usually  men  of  no  true  spirit,  and 
often  cowards  :  And,  in  the  spiritual  life,  it  is  much  the  same. 
Young  professors,  like  young  recruits,  talk  bravely  about  bat- 
tles :  The  veteran  is  silent  upon  the  pleasure  of  fighting,  and 
recollecls  the  variety  of  his  hardships  and  dangers.  Bring 
both  into  the  field;  and  the  old  soldier  Vv'ill  be  firm,  where 
the  very  noise  and  terrors  of  the  confii6l  sliall  make  the 
young  one  tremble.  Our  Lord  puts  it  into  all  his  people's 
mouths  to  pray — Lead  us  ?70i  into  temptation:  And,  Vv^hether 
we  see  it  or  not,  there  is  a  temptation  lurking  in  every  thing. 
It  is  our  duty  to  pray,  in  all  circumstances,  against  the  temp, 
tations  which  attend  them,  if  we  saw  sometimes,  v.'hat 
temptations  lay  disguised  under  our  greatest  blessings  and 
privijegcs,  and  even  under  our  holiest  duties  ;  we  should  al- 
most be  afraid  to  use  tliem.  When  v^e  are  alone^  as  to  our 
own  apprehension,  we  are  beset  by  them;  and  Vv'«  are  kept 
from,  bei'.ig  a  prey  only  by  superior  power.  \vi  company^  we 
have  thcs-i  and  other  snares  in  our  v/ay  ;  and  we  had  need  to 
p>ray,  and  pray  again.  Lead  us  r.ot  into  tcsr.p'ution.  In  our 
tar'.icG'.  approaches  to  God,  and  when  our  s.)uls  arc  most  en- 


POWER.  .8, 

Urged  ;  wc  are  not  beyond  the  reach  of  a  snare,  nor  allc  of 
ourselves  to  repel  it.  We  are  nevei  safe,  but  in  Hnn,  wlio 
is  our  strengtli,  and  who  alone  can  kcvp  tis^  by  bis  mighty 
J>o<wer^  through  Jaitb  unto  salvation. 

"  True,  (says  the  despovicling  Cihristian)  I  fctl  and  sec  all 
this  in  myself.  1  kn(-\v  so  much  of  my  own  wtaViicBs,  thai  I 
ofien  fear  the  prevalence  of  my  encn.y,  and  thai  1  slull  (h  c 
day  perish  by  the  liand  of  this  Sat'/.''^ — '1  he  n.an,  who  feels 
and  leurs  this  in  reality,  shall  never  fall.  The  soul  is  often 
brought  into  this  state,  that  it  may  be  senbible  of  its  entire 
dependence  upon  the  strength  of  almighty  grace  for  its  sup- 
port and  continuance.  We  arc  beaten  very  hardly  out  of  our- 
selves :  And  all  the  struggles  we  endure  v;ithin,  arise,  in  faO, 
from  the  want  of  confidence  in  God.  Flesh  and  blood  cannot 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God,  nor  cjuietly  submit  to  the  will 
of  God.  Could  Vv'e  cast  all  our  care  upon  him,  as  we  art  pi  i- 
vileged  to  cast  it,  our  mon^.ents  of  anxiety  would  be  few,  and 
the  natural  perturbations  of  our  hearts  less  distrai^ling  and 
strong.  'Tis  a  heavenly  lesson  to  put  every  thing  into  the 
Lord's  hand,  to  view  with  calmness  the  workings  of  his  pro 
vidence,  to  abate  the  impatient  forwardness  of  our  earthly 
nature,  and  to  follow  him  with  resignation  of  Sj)irit  wlieievcr 
he  is  pleased  to  lead. — *'  Our  vows  are  cruel  to  ourselves,  if 
they  demand  nothing  but  gentle  zephyrs,  and  flowery  fields, 
and  calm  repose,  as  the  lot  of  our  life;  for  these  pleasant 
things  often  prove  the  most  dangerous  enemies  to  our  nobler 
and  dearer  life."*  Our  unhappiness  is,  wc  want  all  thinj^s  to 
be  done,  in  us  and  for  us,  according  to  our  ov.'n  way,  and  in 
our  own  time.  We  do  not  '■<vait  the  Lcrd^s  Icisuie^  nor  hi« 
fiiiill ;  but  often  make  basic  to  perplexity  and  sorrow  by  seek 
ing  our  own.  As  God  doth  r.ot  refuse,  whon  hedclass;  so 
he  doth  not  delay,  without  the  most  sufScient  cause.  Take, 
for  instance,  the  case  of  Abraham.  God  could  have  given  him 
Isaac,  as  soon,  as  or  before  Isbniad ;  could  have  r.)adc  his 
promise  much  earlier  than  he  did,  and,  after  he  had  made  it, 
could  have  fulfilled  it  in  a  very  short  time.  Instead  of  this, 
God  deferred  the  promise  and  the  fulfdincnt  for  many  years, 
and  brought  it  forward  in  the  extremity  of  Abraham's  old  a-rc. 
But  the  good  patriarch's  faith  was  not  only  to  be  tried,  whii  h 
is  the  general  view  of  tlie  case,  but  to  b^  taught  ;  and  the 
faith  of  future  ages  was  to  be  instru6\ed  by  that  teaching: 
And  the  lesson  was  ;  that  from  the  promise  &  its  fulfilment  be- 
ing deferred  to  a  time  of  life,  when  he  could  not  cxpecl  niuch  or 
long  enjoyment  of  any  temporal  blessing,  and  to  days,  when  he 
iiiiglit  ^syj  have  no  pleasure  iti  them:  he  might  take  notice,  and 
->vc  by  hi'in,  that  the'^rtw/  and  true  blessing  promised  was  not  a 

*  Arcnbifcliop  ItiviHTON.  i*'<.<!.  oi:  Is.  cxxx. 


23i  P        O        W        E        R. 

matter  of  this  world,  and  that  the  earthly  good  was  a  good, 
principally,  in  being  the  symbol  cr  promise  oi  spiritual  and 
eternai  luci  cies.  In  like  manner,  Moses  was  four-score,  when 
he  preached  deliverance  to  the  people  in  Egypt^  andcoula  ex- 
peel:  no  great  felicity  in  tht  promised  land,  as  a  mere  eanhiy 
possession  ;  and  especiall)  when  he  had  continued  near  foiiy 
years  longer  in  the  wilderness.  Bat  he  desired  this  posses- 
sion, as  an  instituted  sacrament  or  pledge  or  a  far  greater  pos- 
session, even  the  inheritance  of  the  spiritual  Canaan.  He 
desired  ^z  i^etter  country^  even  a  heavenly^  and  looked  for  the 
earthly  one,  chiefly,  as  its  appointed  earnest.  If  he  had  not 
been  thus  disposed,  he  might  have  said,  v^'hen  God  ordered 
him  into  Egypt  at  four-score,  wh:itBarziilai  said  to  David 
at  the  very  same  age,  "  Hovj  long  bave  I  tj  live  P  And  what 
is  the  difiercnce  between  earthly  good  and  evil  tome?"  But, 
viewing  this  dispensation  by  the  grace  of  faith,  he  saw  into 
the  spiritual  and  eternal  truth,  which  that  dispensation 
preached,  and  gave  up  his  quiet  retirement  in  the  wilderness 
in  proof  of  it  ;  as,  before,  he  had  quitted  human  grandeur  for 
the  wilderness,  in  testimony  of  his   adherence   to   the  gospel 

and  people  of  God. After  these  bright  examples,  believer, 

be  not  thou  weary,  nor  faint  in  thy  mi«d.  God  doth  not 
withhold  comforts  on  earth  from  thee,  but  to  quicken  thy  de- 
sires after,  and  finally  to  bestow  upon  thee,  the  joys  of  hea- 
ven. Thou  wilt  have  happiness  enough  there  ;  And  the 
voice  of  his  afHicling  dispensations  should  tell  thee  so.  He 
gives  the  v^orld,  as  a  matter  of  small  account  in  itself,  to 
v/icked  men  ;  but  Himst'f  only  to  his  children.  And  will 
not  such  a  portion  suiiice  for  ibeef 

This  attribute  o^ po^wtr  in  God,  is  alarming,  or  will  be  a>. 
1  angling,  to  ail  them  who  oppose  his  truth,  or  Vv'ho  fight  a- 
gainst  him  in  his  people.  If  he  be  mighty  to  save^  he  is  aU 
mighty  to  destroy.  'Fhey,  who  run  upon  the  thick  bosses  of 
bis  buckler^  can  only  wound  themselves.  The  highest,  on  his 
everlasting  tlirone,  is  not  to  be  moved  by  the  v/eak  efx'orts  of 
dying  worms  ;  nor  can  tlieir  silly  designs  prosper  or  prevail 
against  his  eternal  counsel  and  decree. 

As  the  Hrj-.y  Spirit  hath  ail  power  in  himself,  so  he  com- 
municates  the  power  of  his  grace  through  the  gospel  of  truth. 
He  gives  power  to  his  word,  and  power  by  his  word.  When 
he  bestows  ligiit  upon  the  soul,  he  doth  not  give  ''*'  a  useless 
knowledge  of  useful  things  -"  but  imparts  a  vigor  and  e'mcacj^ 
with  that  light,  vvhicii  niould  the  spirit  of  a  ir.an  into  the 
frauie  and  temper  oF  the  great  partem.  Christ  Jesus.  A  man 
is  not  left  here  to  the  jorjn  of  Godliness^  but  po^s^sses  th.e 
po%:cer  of  it.  In  this  state,  he  sees  that  all  divine  truths  are 
not  merely  to  be  knov^n  at  speculations,  but  enjoyed  as  reali- 
ties :  And  a  truth,  wiiliOut  ciijcyment  and  relish,  is  tohimbut. 


I'         O         W         E         R.  ,,03 

ag  a  fitatue  without  life.     It  may  be  fine  marb'e,  perhapi,  und 
biglUy  polished  bat  it   li.   no;hinj>;  bu'  form^  an. I   vcrv  cold. 
Our  minds  are  naturally  inclined  to  krar     and  the   more  in- 
genious a  man  is,  die  higher    he    may    mount  ;  but  the   inore 
dreadful  will  be  his  fall.     There  is  u' luxury  Tor  the  brad,  a» 
well  as  for  the  appetite.      Fine  thcu;>hts  and  nice  Fpcculation* 
sh.ill  bloat  a  soul,  whic  h  may  belong  to  a  man,  whose  body  at 
the  same  time  may  be  quice  cniaciatcrd  through  abstemious- 
ness.    We  may  know   the  worth  and  the  kip.d  of  our  know- 
lelg?,  by  t'le  ivxx    which    it    bears.     There   are  many  trees 
beautiful  X.0  the  sight,   which   arc  also  vtrv  stror:g   and   very 
lofiy^hut  do  not  produce  the  least  food  or  fruit:   And  llicrc 
are  others,  which  (like  the  vine)  are  very  feeble  and  liomcly 
in  jppearancc,  but  yield  produe^tions  of  the  p;reatc3t  value  and 
delight.     In  like  manner,   towering  thoughts,  decorated  spe- 
culations,   unprofitable    inquiries,    concerning  divine  tb.ings, 
may  amuse  the  mind;  but    one  humblinj^  view    of  ours(dves, 
or  one  momcr.t's  communion  of  divii.e  grace,  is  better  than  a 
world-fall  of  such  useless  vanities.   We  mav  see  tlie  evidence 
of  this  trutli,  by  the  lofty  speculutists  of  the  day,  who  are  im- 
patient of  the  leust  ccr.tra'icStion,  swell  with  arrogance  and 
insult  at  the  most  trifling  opposition,  and  cannot  enthire  the 
opinion,  that  other  men  should  not  tliink  as  well  ol  their  vast 
capacity,  as  they  do  themselves.     Ail  this  is  poor  indeed  !   If 
such  be  the  objcdof  aman's  life,  and  if  all  l.is  aim  be  to  live  in 
the  opinion  of  others  ;he  may  well  be  pronounred  miserable,  be- 
cause it  is  an  obje^St  never  attained,  and  an  nim  which  no  man 
could  ever  possibly  enjoy.      He    quits    the  judgment   of  God, 
who  is  the  author  of  all  v/isdom  and  happiness,  for  tlie  opini- 
on of  creatures,  who  are  all  folly   and   misejv  in   ihernselvcs, 
and  wliose  best  opinion  di22  with  them,  if  not  before  tl'.err.. 

Learn  then,  believer,  to  make  tiod  thy  stren<jih,  and  thy 
glory.  His  trumpet  shall  not  blow  an  empty  or  a  lying  blast, 
like  the  trumpet  of  fame,  but  in  prortounc/n^  thee  Messed, 
shall  }nake  thee  so.  It  v/as  a  faithful  resolution,  /  xoil!  go 
in  tbc  strc*igtb  of  the  Lord  (jod  :  And  it  is  a  wise  exainple 
for  thee  to  follow,  that  thou  mayest  never  want  power.  la 
Jehovah,  one  said,  /  have  everhming  strer.gib:  But  not  the 
only  one^  who  hath  said  and  found  it  loo.  It  is  tby  privilege  in 
faith  so  to  say,  and  so  to  find.  !tis  rh^  common  privilege  of 
all  the  people  of  God.  O  then,  let  us  j.)in  in  lov-king  up  to 
this  Holy  Spirit  of  Power  for  fresh  supplies  of  immortal 
strength,  that  we  may  proceed  in  our  heavenly  way  rejoic- 
ing, tiiat  we  m.ay  hold  on  and  iiold  out  to  tlic  tr\<X  of  that  way, 
and  finally  obtain  the  purpos";  oi  all  giace  in  the  enjoyment 
of  eternal  gioty.  Then  shall  we  attune  harps,  hearts,  and 
voices,  t*  n:vtr-dyi.'i.£  strains  of  th-!  '"■:-?:':  :      • :   "."d  '.V.-zn, 


^84  SPIRIT     OF     PROMISE. 

in  the  view  of  past  and  future  mercies,  which  Jehovah  hatli 
ordained,  shall  we  triumph  when  we  sing  his  praise^  :ind  re- 
joice to  proclaim  Wis  /?owt:r  / 


SPIRIT  OF  PROMISE. 

UPON  the  fall,  man  was  surrounded  with  every  prcspe6l 
of  misery,  and  needed  71  promiss  to  keep  him  from  de- 
spair. Mercy  triumphed  over  this  misery,  and  supplied  that 
promise,  raising  up  his  drooping  mind  to  the  expectation  of 
good.  This  good,  and  the  means  by  which  it  v/as  to  be  in- 
troduced, made  the  ground  of  the  promise  :  The  author  of  it 
could  be  no  less  than  the  author  of  ail  good,  even  God  him- 
self. 

The  promise,  at  first  immediately  delivered  by  God  to 
man,  was  afterwards  renewed  upon  various  occasions,  both 
immediately  by  Himself,  and  mediately  by  persons  commis- 
sioned by  him.  When  the  promise  came  direclly  from  God, 
it  was  generally  ascribed  to  hh  Voice  ;  and  this  Fb/V^  has 
been  proved,  in  another  place,  to  denote  his  Spirit.  When 
it  has  been  communicated  through  men,  the  same  Voice 
spake  in  them  ;  and  therefore  it  is  said,  tbey  spake  as  they 
'were  movtd  by  the  Holy  Gkost,  or  still  more  dirc6lly  in  the 
ternis  of  Christ,  it  is  not  ye  that  spea/t^  but  the  Spirit  of  your 
Father  vjbich  speakcth  in  you.  This  voice  gave  the  vtord^ 
which  is  sometimes  translated /j^^w/j-c*,  and  always  implies 
it;  for  God's  word  declared^  hc'iwg predictive  of  what  shall 
come  to  pass,  is  conscqucndy  prophetical  or  promissory.  1l 
usually  means,  what  v^e  particularly  understand  by  promise, 
when  it  predicts  good  things  ;  and  hence  the  promises  are 
called  exceedi;>g  great  and prcci'ius^  both  on  account  of  their 
auibor  a;"id  subject  ;  but  the  W(?rt/  itself  is  all  promise^  even  of 
dcstrudlion  to  sinners,  and  must  to  a  tittle  be  accomplished. 

As  the  v/hole  pron-.ise  of  grace  and  life  eternal  proceeds  from 
God,  because  He  ojily  hath  the  right  to  give  or  power  to  fulfill 
it,  and  because  his  Voici:  only  can  utter  his  own  mind  and  de- 
cree, which  voice  is  ids  Spirit  ;  therefore  the  Spirit  is  term- 
ed, sometimes  the  promise  emphatically,  as  including  eve- 
ry other  declaration  of  salvation  ;  and  sometimes  kXix:  promise 
of  the  Spirit^  and  the  Sirit  of  promise^  explicitly,  as  expres- 
sir.g  the  great  agent  who  is  to  fulfill  it.  lie  is  called  the  pro- 
jnise  itself,  because  he  rev'cals  or  makes  it  known  ;  and  the 
Spirit  of  promise^  because  he  is  the  very  Spirit  and  power,  by 
whom  it  is  accomnlished. 


S  P  I  R  I  T     o  r     P  R  0  M  I  S  E.  285 

He  gave  his  promise  to  his  people  in  tlic  God-man,  Christ 
Jesus,  as  their  fosderal  or  mediatorial  head  ;  and  no  promise 
or  the  fulfihneni  of  it,  flows  to  them  through  any  other  than! 
hel.  In  Him  only  the  promises  are  all  yca^  and  all  umen  ;  all 
positive  and  full,  all  established  and  sure.  The  truth  is  in 
Jesus;  and  so  likewise  is  the  promise  of  truth.  The  Spirit 
never  gave  a  promise  but  what  related  to  Clirist,  or  to  his 
people  in  Christ.  Christ  is,  therefore,  the  promised  seed ; 
and  so  arc  they,  for  his  sake.  Rom.  ix.  8.  But  the  great 
promiser,  and  one  great  branch  of  the  promise  itself,  is  that 
eternal  Spirit  through  whom  Christ  offered  himself  without 
'pot  unto  God,  and  by  whose  power  the  redeemed  are  gailiereJ 
and  united  to  Christ,  as  one  body  or  temple,  for  his  own  habi- 
tation and  glory.  Eph.  ii.  21,  22.  In  Christ  they  have 
communion  with  the  Spirit;  and  by  the  Spirit  they  are 
brought  to  Christ  for  this  communion.  In  and  throngii  b'.)ih 
these  divine  persons,  they  are  l«d  up  hnally  to  the  Father,  as  to 
the  consummation  of  their  own  bliss,  and  of  Jehovah^ s  gU-ry. 
Thus  the  Spirit  is  the  great  vivifying  agent  of  all  the  people 
of  God,  who  convinces  them  of  sin,  leads  them  to  Christ  for 
his  atonement  and  righteousness,  keeps  them  in  dependence 
upon  Christ  by  his  almighty  power,  instru6\s  their  souls  in 
the  truths  of  salvation  by  enlightening  his  holy  word,  sup- 
plies them  with  strength  against  their  enemies,  affords  them 
comfort  in  all  their  tribulations,  imparts  to  them  the  various 
degrees  of  grace  and  holiness,  and  ut  last  brings  them  safely 
to  glory  and  heaven.  Surely,  such  a  Spirit  as  this  might  be 
well  called  ^  pro?nise,  in  the'highest  sense  and  as  the  greatest 
blessing  that  can  be  conceived  ;  and  he  may  likewise  be  well 
ftylcd  the  Spirit  of  promise,  since  none  but  his  omnipotent 
power  could  impart  or  secure  it. 

But,  that  we  might  not  mistake  in  so  important  a  matter 
as  the  nature  of  this  holy  agent.  He  is  called  by  01  her  names 
in  conjun6lion  with  ih^wovd premise,  or  \;\t\\v:bai  is  promis- 
ed. 'I'hus,  our  Lord  styles  him,  the  promise  of  my  fmhcr, 
because  the  Spirit  is  sent  by  the  father,  proceedeth from  bim,  • 
and  is  onei^Hih  him  in  the  Godhead.  These  additions  to  the 
name  of  the  Spirit  appear  designed  to  prevent  a  misappre- 
hension of  him  for  some   common  or  created  spirit.      Hence 


iense,  and  mean,  that  in  descending  from  the  h:frbcit,  he 
necessarilv  was  above  all,  and  as  such  came  as  ncccs- 
sarilv  from  Jehovah  most  Hir.n,  who  only  is  above  all. 
He  was  a  party  in  the  everlasting  covenant  [m  a  manner  su- 
perior  to  our  conceptions  as  to  the  mod^,  but  somewhat  ana- 
Vol.   II.  N  n 


236  SPIRIT     OF     PROMISE. 

logous  to  what  we  ap.;re!icnd  from  those  words  in  the  jsns^ 
ov  pur  pert. '\  which  covenant  is  the  founc/atisu  of  the  promise  ; 
as  tlie  promise  itself  is  the  declarauon  of  God's  intention  in 
that  covenant.  Now,  none  could  make  this  declaration  or 
promise,  but  the  Godhead  who  conceived  and  determined  it, 
or  "3,  per  so::  in  the  Godhead,  No  creatures,  however  exalted, 
could  apprehend  the  infinite  mind  and  will  oi  Jehovah^  but 
by  the  comnmnicatian  of  Jebevah^  and  then  only  according 
to  their  limited  capacity.  The  whole  matter  and  manner 
m^iSt  spring  originally  from  God  alone  ;  and  could  have  been 
known  to  any  creature,  only  by  his  inspiration  ;  for  crca- 
t:irc3  depend  as  much  for  their  knowledge  upon  God  as 
for  their  beiwg.  But,  as  the  Spirit  is  a  party  in  this 
everlasting  covenant,  starchetb  all  t:jU:gs  cz^en.  the.  deep 
things  of  God.,  hath  revealed  in  all  ages  (as  the  voice 
of  God)  the  vjili  o'i  God,  is  the  very  promise  itself  for  the 
tuition  and  comforfpf  the  children  of  God,  and  the  Spirit  of 
promise  to  efle<^luate  <u'-6^/^  is  promised  to  them,  both  in  tim€ 
and  eternity  ;  the  man  who,  on  the  one  hand,  wiil^r^???^  these 
premises,  is  most  absurd,  if  he  doth  not  also  grant,  that  none 
but  fehovah  could  do  these  mighty  a6ls  ;  and  the  man  who,'  on 
the  otlier,  will  ;7d?r  grant  them,  must  deny  the  Bible  itself, 
and  renounce  till  revelation  for  ever.  There  seems,  there- 
fore, on. refuge  in  the  case;  but  either  the  Spirit  rf promise 
is  j'chovah  prornisir.g.,  or  there  is  no  promise  at  all,  and  con- 
sequently no  revealed  comjtr.unication  between  God  and  man. 
The  one  principle  is  the  root  and  ground  o£ faith  ;  and  the 
other,  of  all  irfidelity.  To  which  it  may  be  added;;  the  o- 
peration  and  e^ecl  of  these  tv/o  principles  divide  tiie  world, 
and  separate  p-rar/owi  souls  of  all  denominations  from  the 
gracekss  wx  every  one. 

It  appears  fr.om  lience,  as  well  rs  from  come  other  eonside- 
rations,  how  important  a  matter  it  is  for  Christians  to  be 
well  grounded  in  the  truth  of  their  conQu61or's  divinity. 
Tiieir  comfort  in  the  hope  of  solvation,  as  well  as  s.alvation 
itself,  depends  upon  it,.  Remove  this  doctrine,  and  wJiat  man, 
who  knows  his. own  heart,  the  warfare  he  is  engaged  in,  and 
the  povv'er  of  Ij^s  foes,,  would  not  give  up  ail  for  lost  in  a  mo- 
ment? The  igriorance  of  these  matters  rend^.rs  men  triuing, 
unj)ersuaded,  and  unconcerned,  respe6"iing  the  divinity  of  the 
opiiit.  They  do  not  s:.e  that  the  Christian  religion  itself 
stands  upon  it,  and  the ,vtr;\' purpose  or  tliat  religion- to  man, 
even  iife  etenu.l.  Dciolish  this  j^rinciple,  and  Deism.,  under 
co^ev  s>i  Stcinitinisjnl^  .and  ether'  hetecodgxies,  come  in  with 
jEliII  force,  upon  tl-jc, citadel  <^f  faitjp.  Tjoan  awakene4  or,  ^/2- 
//jr/,i^;;r<:/sou)(fa:».th^;^,ntitr.t 'Christians  used  to  term  the  e- 
stabVishe.j  ,belif.rcr)  4l)^.  ly'ivjjijiily  of,.  l,iie  Holy  Spirit  ap]:cars 
as  essential   to  his  cr.ivation.,  as  tlie  piior  e::i3tence  of  God 


SPIRIT     OF     P  R  O  M  I  s  r.. 
himself  was  necessary  to  his  natural  being.   '  He  can;- 
a  page  in  his  Bible,  but  he  perceives  an  expression  <  . 
cation  ^of  this  truth,  which  also  is  the  very  spring  of 
vidence  and  grace,  resolving  ihe  occurrences  of  the  o-;-  !;.,o 
the  purposes  and  conclusions  of  the  olher.   And  lic  p-)S5cs^c5 
a  further  dcnionstration  of  this  truth,  m  conjunclioa  with  t'ne 
Bible,  from  that  experience  of  it,  which   the    Bible  wnrr  ■  j  ; 
and  inculcates,  and  which  it  nuny  n:t  be  unprofilablc- 
sider. 

The-  apostle,  in  mentioning  this  Holy  Spirit  cf  prcwise  i:» 
Eph.  i.'  13.  declares  also  the  use  ar.d  advanta;;e  of  tlit  Spirit. 
And  it  may  be  noted,  by  the  way,  that  ill  the  uoc\rine«  of  the 
Bil^le  apply  to  use^  and  ai^e  not  to  be  considered  asr  mere  .lo- 
tions to  swell  the  brain,  without  feeding  th?  heart:      Af<tr  -^c 
lelicvcd  "*•  in  Christ  (says  St.  Paul  J  >f  *:L't/-*(^SKALEDU'/V/> //)r;f 
Jfo'y   Spirit  of  prvmisc^  ^^hich  is  the  earnest  cf  our  ir.beri- 
tance^  &c.  'Yhty  bcHcucd^  wliicli  they  v;cre  tnabied  to  do  /-y 
the  operation  of  Gcd^  Ccl,  il.  iz.  and  thus  they  v/ere  seated  hy 
the  Spirit  of   promise,  cr  according  to   the  promise  of  God. 
This  staling  is  the  earnest^  sure  pledge  and  part  of  that  [pos- 
session,  which   is  called' (jz/r   znbcrit:::ice^  b'ecau'^^,    through 
Christ,  we  are  bcrn  cf  the   Spirit^   or  of  God^  are   therefore 
children  ofGod^  and,  being  children,  become '/T/r/  of  God  and 
joint  heirs  "witb  C6rij?  for  that   inheritance.'    'Vht  (uhiissicn 
15  through  faith,  the  pledge  and  security  is  the  seal  cJf  God  ti^c 
Spirit,  and  the  end  everlasting  life.   As  a  naked  promise  with* 
out  witness  is  not  obligatory  among  men,  before  then*  couVts 
of  lav/;  God  takes  up  a  similitude  from  it,  in  order  to  shew 
the  positive  certainty  of  his  salvation.     He  delivers  his  pro- 
mise under  the  nam.e  of  a  testament^  which   he  ratifies  by  his 
own  oath,  v/liich  comes  into  force  by  the  death  of  tliat  tcfla- 
tor  in  v.'hose  name  it  was  made,  which  is  scaled  by  the  Spirit 
and  impleaded  by  him   in  the  hearts  of  his  people  for  whor.s 
benefit  it  was  made,  and  which  is  witnessed  toby  the  Son  and 
Sj)irit  before  the  court  of  heaven.     In  this  way,  God  dcligius 
(as  it  were)  to  communicate  to  the  heirs  of  salvation  the  im- 
mutability of  bis  counsel,  and  their  security  in  him.   But  »/ t!ie 
Holy  Spirit  were  not  ti  person,  he  cmild  not  seal  at  all  ;  ^fnot 
a  divine  person,   he  could  not  seal  for  tlie  conveyance  of  an 
inheritance,    which  only  a   divine  nature  could  bestow  ;   and 

*  The  words  mi'-ht  be  rendered,  B^::iL\:ing  yc  ivcr.-  scaled ;  br.l 
they  amount  to  the  same  sense.  /iV^.A,  th.-ugh  agrecc  ol"  tta-  Spi- 
rit  as  exercised  in  and  by  us,  is  f^ff  tMnv; ;  ar.nthe  ^vf/of  t.>e  ^pi- 
rit  is  another.  Dr.  Gujsf,  unon  the  plauc,  has  jud.ciously  (distin- 
guished them  ;  and  even  Mr.  //c.r,,.  who  covrcc<^sourtr.>nslutmn, 
seem,  to  mean  by  this  sealing  of  l^e  SpM  it,  "  .omc  dcu^ul  ul,  ;rr- 
ia.i..ofrfe  and  immortality."    7V.c;  .  Dial.  xv;.  near 

the  end' 


m  SPIRIT    OF    PROMISE- 

much  less  could  he  so  seal,  as  to  be  the  very  earnest^  assut' 
ancc^  and  certainty  of  an  eternal  inheritance.  His  sealing 
obliged  the  divine  nature  to  perform  to  man  ;  and  it  seems 
not  a  little  incongruous  to  imagine,  that  any  creature  what- 
ever could  seal  an  innumerable  multitude  of  souls,  and  oblige 
his  own  Maker  to  grant  salvation  to  them.  On  the  other 
hand,  admitting  the  Holy  Spirit  to  be,  what  indeed  he  is,  God 
over  all ;  there  is  a  beautiful  harmony  in  the  above  similitude, 
and  (what  is  better  for  us  than  all  mere  beauty  J  that  perfect 
security  from  alienation,  which  every  believing  soul  desires 
to  understand.  He  sees,  in  this  delightful  view,  that  God 
contrived  the  testament,  that  God  effe6led  the  purpose  of  it, 
that  God  sealed  and  secured  the  whole,  without  possibility 
of  failure  or  disappointment.  The  covenant  or  testament 
now  appears  worthy  of  God,  as  well  as  ordained  by  Him  ; 
and  most  comfortable  to  man,  for  whose  poor  soul  it  was  graci- 
ously framed,  Here  is  God  planning,  efFe6ling,  and  securing  to 
eternity  ;  and  man  to  eternity  enjoying,  adoring,  and  praising. 
This  is  all  brightness  and  delight  at  once  :  while  the  reverse 
is  altogether  gloom  and  despair. — Judge  then,  read«r,  which 
of  the  two  profers  more  honor  to  God,  or  more  happiness  to 
thee! 

In  full  dependence  upon  the  divinity  of  the  Spirit  of  pro- 
mise do  all  his  promises,  engagements,  and  operations  pro- 
ceed. Trace  them  to  their  fountain-head,  they  rise  from 
him,  and,  rising  from  him,  do  thereby  prove  him  to  be  God. 
They  either  spring  not  from  the  Spirit,  and  so  the  Bible  is 
an  imposition  ;  or,  springing  from  him,  according  to  the  Bi- 
ble, they  demonstrate  his  divinity.  He  could  not  give  a  pro- 
raise  of  grace,  if  he  were  not  the  God  of  all  graee  ;  for  the 
nearest  angel  to  the  heavenly  throne,  the  very  first  which 
stands  in  the  whole  order  of  creatures,  depends  absolutely 
upon  the  grace  and  favor  of  his  Creator,  and  can  have  nothing 
more,  in  any  rcspe6l,  th?n  what  he  is  capable  of  enjoying  ; 
and  the  employment  of  this  whole  capacity,  or  of  the  grace 
and  favor  bestowed  upon  him,  belongs  to  the  Giver,  and  can^ 
not  be  communicated  by  one  creature  to  another.  If  the  Spi- 
rit then  could  not  confer  grace,  but  as  God  ;  he  likewise  could 
not  seal  or  secure  it,  but  in  the  right  and  power  of  his  divine 
nature.  Were  there  any  being  superior  to  his  own,  the  secu- 
rity would  be  nothing  which  a  dependent  being  could  give, 
but  must  be  ultimately  resolved  into  him,  who  bears  the  su- 
preme power.  Every  promise,  seal,  or  security,  which  the 
subordinate  being  might  give  would,  in  that  case,  be  imperti^ 
nent  and  nugatory  :  What  is  more,  they  would  arise  from  one 
who  had  no  right,  as  well  as  no  power,  to  form  such  a  sort  of  co- 
venant, as  deals  out  heaven  itself  to  worthless  sinners,  and  par- 
cels eternal  life  and  liappingss  among  a  set  of  rebellious  mo.r- 


S  P  I  R  I  T    o  r    P  R  O  M  I  S  E.  189 

tals.  There  would  be  so  much  error,  arrogance,  and  pre- 
sumption in  such  a  case,  that  no  ^^00^  beine;  could  be  guiliy 
-of  t hern  ;  and  the  attempt  itself  would  be  frivolojs  a:id  con- 
trary to  the  nature  as  well  as  above  the  powers  of  an  evil  one. 
And  why  doth  God  so  often  claim  the  epithet  o{ faithful ; 
but  because  he  ktepetb  promise  for  ever  P  The  Spirit,  for  the 
same  reason,  is  the  Spirit  of  />ro7nise,  to  make  p;ood  all  those 
engagements,  which  he  declared  to  the  lo/y  men  of  old,  lubo 
^ere  moved  by  himj-anA  which  fill  the  sacred  volume  fror.i  be- 
ginning to  end.  He  spake  the  promises  to  them  ;  and  he 
was  well  qualified  to  promise,  because  he  is  also  able  to  per- 
form. He  gave  them  out,  in  anticnt  time,  by  pertinent  sym- 
bols ;  and  he  taught  his  redeemed  both  the  sense  and  the  c:^- 
perience  of  those  symbols.  This  Holy  Spirit  signified  ;  Heb. 
ix.  8.  and  then  gave  his  people  the  purport  of  the  sign.  Carnal 
professors  and  the  world  at  large,  tbe7i^  as  well  as  ;2<9iu,  saw 
the  types  and  shadovjs.,  but  took  them  for  ends  and  substances. 
But  the  Spirit  imparted  the  idtimeite  sense  and  understanding 
of  them  only  to  the  faithful.  When  the  Spirit  of  prcnii.'ic  held 
forth  the  promised  land^  the  multitude  of  mere  professor* 
thought  of  nothing  beyond  the  milk  and  honey,  the  worldly 
case  and  worldly  comforts,  which  they  might  enjoy  in  it :  But 
the  true  JcviS^  or  I'eal  confessors  of  God,  saw  through  the 
veil  of  time,  and  were  taught  to  consider  Canaan^  eitiier  as 
the  church  collc6livcly  in  one  body,  or  the  everlasting  resi- 
dence of  the  church  finally  in  one  place.  Concerning  Jeru- 
salem itself,  they  perceived  the  same,  and  knew  it  to  be  re- 
latively only  the  holy  city^  in  symbol  of  that  Jerusalem 
'wbich  is  absve.  This  was  the  Canaan  and  this  the  'Jerusalem 
they  longed  for,  and  in  the  hope  of  which  they  confessed 
themselves  strangers  and  pilgrims  upon  earthy  seeking  a  better 
country  than  Jiidca^  even  a  heavenly^  and  a  city  vobicb  hath 
foundations  [solid  and  perpetual,  which  Jerusalem  had  wq\.'\ 
'wbose  builder  and  maker  is  God.  They  knew  that  the  land 
below  was  an  appointed  type  of  the  courts  above;  and  they 
enjoyed  it  in  this  frame.  Upon  this  account,  the  countiy  it- 
self became  (as  it  were)  a  sacrament  to  the  faithful  Jews, 
and  put  them  in  continual  mind,  that  this  ivas  not  tbeir  rtsty 
heing polluted^  but  that  heaven  only  was  their  home,  even  the 
holiest  of  ally  for  tht^  forerunner  into  vvliich  they  ardently 
waited,  even  for  Jesus^  their  Kigh-pricst,  and  our*s.  AH 
the  services  of  the  law  likewise  were  promises  and  prophecies 
in  disguise  ;  yet  kr:Own  well  enough  by  them,  to  ii'bom  it  <ivas 
given.  They  were  a  veil  of  fleih  ;  but  that  veil  was  rent  in 
iwani^  spiritually  by  the  divine  teacher,  when  saving  life  and 
light  were  brought  into  their  souls,  and  when  they  were  in- 
stru6\ed  in  the  nrxystcries  of  the  kingdom.  Hence  the  dis- 
tinction between  the  cuiward  slvA  the  in':i-::rd  Jews;   the  one 


290  S  P  I  R  I  T     o^F     P  R  O  M  I  S  E. 

having  the  veil  upon  their  hearty  when  Moses  was  read.,  and  the 
ceremonies  given  hy  Moses  were  exhibited  ;   \\\q  other  huving 
that  veil  dene  a^jjay  in  Christy  and  tiirough  faith  in  liini,  who 
was  then  to  come.     Christ  hiniself  also  was  nromised  in  this 
way,  and  cams  "jeiled v:it/j  burnan  f.esh  ;  so  that  the  carnal  or 
oiil^a>ard]Q\wz  knew  him  nor,  nor  saw  what  a  divine  and  inef- 
fable pearly  far   above   all   price,  tabernacled  in   mortal  clay. 
But  those,   who  were  enlightened  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  were 
ar  no  loss  about  him,  but  through  all  the  helpless   simplicity 
of  a  little  babe  v/hen  he  came  into  the  world,  beheld    him  by 
faith,    and  acknowledged  him    to  be  their  salvation.     Wha't 
made  the  difference  between  good  old  Simeon^  Anna  the  pro- 
phetess, ^vith  others   who  rejoiced  in   him,   and   Herod,  with 
all  those  who  received  him  not  but  sought  to  destroy   him  ? 
The  answer  is  ;  That  vtry  Spirit  alone,  who  hicxagbx  Simeon 
into  the  temple,  at  the  time  of  his   circumcision,  and  led   o- 
thers  to  testify  of  him  ;    as  may  be  read  at  large  in  the  two 
first  chapters  of   the  gospel   by  St.  Luke.     And  what   makes 
the  distinction  between   the  real  Christian  and   the  non)inal 
professor  in  their   lives  and  deaths  even  now?  Why  is   the 
one  enabled  to  live  and  be  happy  in  the  things  of  God,  to  re- 
joice in  tribulation  and  death,  and    to  have  ardent  desires  for 
the  blessings  of  eternity  ;  while  thfe  other  passes  his  fleeting 
hours  in  the  hot  pursuit  after  dying  affairs,  cares  neither  for 
God  nor  his  soul,  for  heaven  or  hell  ?  It  can^iot  be  imputed 
to  mere   dilFercnce    of  natural  understanding;    for,  usually, 
those  who  are  esteemed  wisest  in  the  world,  accept  the  v/orse 
rather  than  the  better  part,  and  are  even  prone  to  think  the 
others,  as  Fcstns  did  Pattl,  m.ad  and  beside  themselves.     Nay, 
some  of  the  very  persons  themselves,  u'ho  have  turned  from 
v.'hat  they  conceived  to  be  follies  and  sins  bewitching  ethers, 
have  been  people  of  vv^hose  learning,  sense,  and  integrity,  no 
reasonable  man  could  possibly  doubt,   and   the  difference  of 
whose  conversation  and  conduct  have  been  obvious  to  all  who 
knew  them  ;   and  yet  these  have  frankly  and  seriously  owned, 
that  it  was  no  might,  wisdom,  or  capacity  of  their  own,  which 
«ffe6led  this  chanc!;e  upon  them.     To  what  then  could  it  be  a- 
scribed  ?   Surely  to  nothing  else  but  that  wldch  they  ascribed 
it  to,  in  stri6l  concurrence  with  the  word  of  God  ;  even  the 
power  and  wisdom   of  the  divine' Spirit  operating  upon  their 
souls.     By  this  they  lived  ;   for  this  they  prayed  ;  and  for  the 
same  have  all  the  churches  of  Christ  in  all  ages  of  the  world 
prayed  most  cNipressly  cither   in  liturgies  or  other  solemn  ad- 
dresses to  heaven.      The  Church  of  England,  in   particular, 
reiterates  the  petitions  of  this  kind  throughout   her  service, 
;;nd,  in  the  dee[)eot  sense  of  human  frailty,  implores  that  the 


SPIRIT    OF    PR  O  M  I  S  K.  j,^, 

"  Holy  SriniT  may  in  nil  things  diri-ct  and  f.'Jlk  our 
hearts,  rhrou;:;t\  Jesus  Christ."-* 

From  all  this  ic  in.iy  appear,  that  the  pro-nisrs,  inade  in  th.- 
word,  ncjpd  tlie  Spirit  of  promise  to  apply  aiul  explain  thciii 
to  believing  souls;  and  that  he  doLh  seal  this  intlruaion,  ac- 
cording to  that  degree  of  s;iving  truth  which  is  necessary  for 
them  or  for  others  by  them,  proving;  hiinscU"  tlicrcby  to  be 
true  and  very  God.  And  it  is  an  argument  whdcl^  cannot  be 
too  mach  remembered  and  insistcj  on,  that  noiie  but  God 
could  do  this  to  myriads  of  creatures  at  one  and  the  same  in- 
stant, in  various  a^^es,  na':ioi!s,  :;in;;doms,  a:i.l  tcn'j;ues,  and  to 
the  whole  world  of  the  blest,  without  interu-issio!),  a?id  v/ith- 
out  e''^(\.. 

This  Holy  Spirit  is,  tlicrefore,  v/eil  called  to:  Promiic  It- 
self; because  it   was    often  pro'.nised  under  tlie  law,   tliat  he 

*  It  seems  truly  astonishing^,  hov/  it  is  possible  that  a  mini^t^rof 
this  cKceilent  church  sliouid  venture  to  nullify  the  txcrclse  of  t!-.c 
Holy  Spirit  upon  mjn's  soui3,  or  (v/hat  is  thou'^ht  at  present  to  be 
the  more  decent  fashion]  to  assert  that  this  exercise  is  so  secret,  so 
imperceptible,  so  resistable,  and  so  extinguishablc  by  men,  that 
they  either  can;iot  know  when  they  have  its  power  on  them,  or  can 
suppress  it  at  their  pleasure.  That  the  foriii  of  prayer  should  ex- 
press  or  imply  in  all  its  parts  the  absolute  necessity  of  the  Spirit's 
Slid,  that  men  should  read  over  these  sound  words  in  the  dtsk,  and 
then  immediately  after  deny,  reprcba.te,  and  even  ridicule  the  whole 
sense  of  them  in  the  pulpit-  is  so  very  sliociiini;  and  horrid,  that  it 
adtis  a  most  dreadful  weight  to  all  the  other  profligacy  and  nnprin- 
ciolei  conlu^t  jf  the  timz;^.  The  Common  Prayer  bes^-ochesCod  io 
replenish  our  King  ^ivith  tkc grcice  of  his  Holy  Spirit^  and  to  endue  the 
Royal  Fa:^!1Ly  ~vith  the  sama  Spirit,  Where  is  the  loyalty  or  re- 
spect in  pretending  to  ask  for  a  b'essinfj,  which  is  treated  by  these 
innovators  as  a  chimera ?  The  conjure ^a" ion  is  led  to  ask  for  thr 
hcalthfi' I  Spirit  of  grace  upon  the  bishops  and  clcrgy\  that  th<yma^  truiy 
please  God.  Is  it  not  horribly  impious  to  use  these  words  in  round, 
and  to  deny  them  in  substance  ?  Or  can  any  clc:-|,y:;ian  think  he  can 
truly  pi': as' e  God  i)y  so  bold  a  duplicity  ?  Tlie  people,  innnedirteljr 
after  the  confession  of  their  sins,  ivre  exhorted  to  icsccch  C.cd  togrvhi 
them  true  repentance  and  his  Hay  S^Arit.  Are  they  then  t:*  recjucnt 
a  mere  imagination,  an  unfelt  and  unknown  i^ood,  a  mere  non-er.ti 
ty  '  And  is  not  the  tellirig-them  'his,  in  a  discourse  af-er  rnu  h  a  pe- 
tition and  many  more  of  the  same  kind,  a  wicked  and  r4udacioii.s  a- 
buse  of  their  tim*j,  patience,  and  understanding;?  But  when  Jesus 
Christ  has  said,  in  a  very  sLron;^  and  pariiciil'ar  mnnner,  that,  r-tich 
more  than  a  father  to  ^-ive  j^ood  ^;ifts  to  his  c'aildren,  Ciod  is  willinj^ 
io  give  the  Holy  Spiuit  /^  them  that  ask  hifr: ;  v/ho,  what,  where 
are  they,  th:;t  will  be  sr* wicked  ;;nd  so  bhsphcmous  as  toassert,thai 
there  is  tio  such  ])}c3sin;;-  to  i)e  i  ad,  or  'what  is  much  the  same)  no 
such  good  to  be  known  ^-r-^Hear,  C  heavens^  end  give  rar^  O  earth  i  for 
the  Loan  hath  s,'>oken :  I  have  ::juri\hcd  and  l^rciffh:  up  ckildnny  aiiJ 
they  have  rebelled  again::  int. 


291  SPIRIT     OF     PROMISE. 

should  be  fully  evideaced  and  manifested  to  the  people  ojT 
God  upon  the  advent  of  the  Messiah,  Huetius^  in  his  De- 
tnonstratio  Evang^lica  (Prop.  ix.  c.  149.)  has  drawn  out  some 
of  the  most  remarkable  texts  of  this  kind  from  the  Old  Tes- 
tament, and  paralleled  them  with  others  iVoii*  the  New,  which 
shew  their  accomplisiiment.  It  would  take  up  too  much  room 
to  copy  the  texts  at  length,  as  he  has  done;  and  therefore  it 
may  be  suiTicient  to  point  only  to  the  places,  which  the  read- 
er may  consult  at  his  leisure. — Old  Testament.  Isaiah  xxxii, 
15.  xliv.  3.  lix.  ai.  Ezckiel  xxxvi.  26,  27.  xxxix.  39.  Joel 
ii.  a8,  29.  Zech.  xii.  lo^^^yew  7estamcnt.  Luke  xxiv.  49.^ 
John  vii,  37,  &c.  xiv.  16,  &c.  xv.  26.  xvi.  7,  &c.  xx.  22.  A6ls 
i.  4,  &c.  ii.  I,  &c.  viii.  15,  &c.  ix.  17.  x.  44,  45.  xi.  15,  16. 
xiii.  2,  3,  4,  9,  52.  XV.  7,  8.  xix.  2,  6.  Romans  v. 
5.  I  Cor.  iii.  16.  Gal.  iv.  6.  i  John  iv.  13.  with  several  o- 
ther  correspondent  texts. 

What  consolation  is  held  forth  in  this  gracious  title  of  the 
Spirit  for  the  children  of  God;    What  assurance  of  happiness 
doth  it  contain  ?   What  a  pledge  of  life  eternal  ?  There  is  not 
a  promise  revealed  in  the  book  of  Gad,  but  which  the  believ- 
er may  look  to  the  Spirit  of  promise  for  the  performance  of 
it.     He  took  this  name  for  that  end.     He  is  the  Spirit  in  the 
promise,   and  becomes  inherent  with  the  promise   itself,  as 
the  very   life  and  essence  of  it  ;  and  He  is  the  Spirit  o/thc 
promise,  because  he   was  a  party  in   the   divine    mind  who 
gave  It,  and  the  person  in  the  divine  nature  who  accomplish- 
es it  to  his  people.     Looking  to  him,  they  can  never  be  dis- 
appointed of  their  hope  ;  for  he  doth  not  make  promises,  nor 
give  his  word,  according  to  the  little  follies  of  earthly  courts, 
but  pledges  himself  for  the  performance  of  them,  that  his  peo- 
ple may  rely  on  him  with  strong  consolation,  and  entertain  a 
good  hope  through  grace.     None  of  his  creatures  can  charge 
him  with  breach  of  promise:   He  did  not  make  promises  to 
break  them,  but   to  keep  them.     Nor  did  he  make  them  at  an 
uncertainty  of  issue  ;  because  no  promise  was  ever  gi/en  out, 
but  according  to  that  everlasting  covcjiant^  ^inbich  is  ordered  in 
ALL  things  and  ?,\:rt..     So  that  the  promise  stands  upon  the 
very  Godhead  itself,  and  upon  ail  his  attributes  of  wisdom, 
love,  and  power:   Nor  can  it  fail,  till  this  Rock  of  Agrshils, 
but  must  endure  like  it  for  evermore.     O  what  comfort  may 
the   troubled   weary  mind  draw   from  this  unfailing  spring! 
Could  it  but  look  out  from  itself,  and  lay  fast  hold  upon  the 
ti^ort/ of  promise  ;   X.\\q  Spirit  of  promise  would  soon  witness 
to  his  own  word,  and  give  the  sweetness  of  it  to  the  hungry 
soul.     But  the  soul  too,  too  ofi-cn  looks  into  itself,  where  it 
can   find  nothing  but  sorrow  and  sin  :   It  seeks,  in  this  case^ 
the  living  among  the  dead.      Its  hope  is  risen  ;    and  it   must 
rise  from  the  sepulchre  of  self  to  follow  after,  where  only  it 
can  be  found.     Let  the  word  be  read  in  faith  j  and  there  tlie 


S  P  I  R  I  1'     OF     P  11  O  M   i  S  K.  293 

Lord  of  the  word  will  appear.  He  will  appear  to  IIcsh  i:i 
reading,  and  to  carry,  fVoni  the  readincr,  some  strcii^lh  and 
savour  into  the  heart  and  life. 

*•'  But  ;says  the  troubled  Cdirisiian)  I  can  sec  no  prospctl 
of  help  in  my  case.     Providence  seems  shut  up  to  mc.     All  is 
darkness  and  gloom  ;  and  I  cannot  find  one  cheerful  1  ay  in  the 
■whole  book  to  guide  me  on,  nor  one  argument  of  comfort  to 
support  me  from  sinking." — How  many  gracious  souls  arc  iti 
this  situation  1   They  would  not  be  in  it,  were  thty  not   gra- 
cious.    Their   aim  would  be,    if  they  were  of  t!ic  world,  to 
seek   relief    in  the  world  :     and  the  heaveidy  record  would 
have  stood  unopened  as  to  them  :  And  'tis  one  good  sign  of  a 
truly  believing  soul,  when  all  afRi6lions  or  distresses  drive  it 
to  the  Bible,  and  constrain  a  longing  to  receive  comfort  and 
support  from  that  quarter.      ChrisLi:<n  !   Hold  fast  iierc.     Re- 
member thou  art  privileged  to  trust  a  FAi'iHFUL   God  :   And 
when  thy  heart  droops  within  thee,  cry  out  ;   Lord^  I  Lclicvc: 
help  thou  mine  unbelief  I   Do,  as  the  father  of  the  faitiiful  did  ; 
against  hope  believe  in  hope^  according  to  that  ivhicb  is  spoken 
by  thy  God.     Let  go  the  reeds  and  the  rushes,  which  float  a- 
bout   thee  in  thy  tribulation,  and  catch   hold    upon   the   arm 
which  is  stretched  out  for  thine  aid.      That  word,  Lord^  savc^ 
or  1  perish^  was  never  uttered  by  any  one,  who  perished.   He 
will  give  thee  strength  for  thy  temptation,  or  j)rovide   a  way 
for  an  escape.      And  the  trial  was  sent,  not  for  thy  distress 
(for  the  Lord  doth  not  willingly  or  causelessly  allliil  his  peo- 
ple,) but  to  beat  thee  from  thyself,  from  thy  own  contrivan- 
ces, schemes,  or  power,  and  to  make  thee  fly  for  refuge  to  him. 
Blessed  is  that   afRi6lion,  which  endears  (>od  to  his  people; 
And  blessed  are  those  tongues,  which  can  thank  God  in  the 
aiHiilion,  as  well  "^^  for  the  aflliclion.      Nor   is  tliis  too  much 
for  faith,  when  the  Spirit  of  promis:  enlivens   it  to  embrace  a 
promise  ;   as  it  appears  from  the  apostlc^s  case,  and  from  the 
cases   of  many  others,   who  rejoiced  in   tribulation^  Vuow'iug 
the  happy  effefls  of  their  trial.  Rom.  v.   3.     They  did   not 
puzzle  themselves  about  the  means  of  deliv  crance  ;  but  soughc 
frst  to  glorify  God  in  the  present  dispensation  of  his  provi- 
dence  ;   and  then   to    eml)race  those   occasions   of  aid,  which 
that  providence  put  in  their  way.     They  wrestled  with  (iod, 
rather  than  with  the  world  ;   and,  like  Jacob,  tiiey  prevailed. 
For  faiti),  being  of  the  Spirit,  lays  hold  of  the  promising  word, 
energizes  in  the  strength  of  the  Spirit,  and  obtains  from  God, 
the  fulfilment  of  his  promise,  and  all  the  happy  consequences 
v/hich  result   from  it.     The  promises   contain  full  measure, 
and  ov;;r  measure  v  and  have  in  them  more  than  '^xe  can  ask  or 
think.     Were   it  not  for  our  own  weakness,  nothing   \\\  ihe 
world  could  disturb  us.     Winds    make    r.o   impression    upon 
Vol.  U.  O     o 


:>.94  SPIRIT     Of     P  R  O  M  I  S  E. 

rock^^  but  u;)oii  loose  and  unsettled  substances.  And  were 
wcj  or  couid  \vc,  be  pcritdlly  fixed  upon  the  Rock  ofAgcs^  as 
we  shall  be  hereafter;  not  all  the  powers  of  earth  or  hell 
could  aficci  or  perplex  us  Our  wretrhedness  conies  hence  ; 
we  cannot  give  up  all  contentedly  or  resignedly  to  God's  dis- 
posal and  nranagement,  at  the  boti;oni ;  and  this  is  the  true 
though  stcict  cause  of  all  cur  trouble.  For  couid  we  rest 
upon  God,  as  we  aie  warranted  to  rest  upon  hini,  in  spiritual 
tirin':^,3,  wlihout  disturbJ!!  r  jm;'  owii  minds  \vith  those  'ujbys, 
^v\<i^bcnJorts^  widen,  foi  the  trial  of  our  failh,  are  conceal- 
ed ironi  us  ;  we  should  ihtii  rbid  hirn  an  ur.sliaken  founda- 
tion, and,  in  the  very  act  of  faith,  enough  to  assure  us,  that 
we  do  not  trust  him  in  vain.  So,  in  temporal  matters^  did  we 
c^:st  all  our  care^  or  carefulness,  upon  God^  according  to  his 
^vt{:e\)t^^x\&  and  commit  the  times  and  the  scasoyis  entirely  to 
his  o'Vjn  pou'cr^  as  they  arc  indeed,  and  must  h'Ci  whether  v/e 
trust  him  or  iiot  ,  we  should  Hnd  much  smocther  work  within, 
and  abundantly  less  perple.xity  from  without.  The  unhappi- 
ness  rests  here  *,  we  cannot  trust  God  nakedly^  without  a  viev/ 
or  piobability  oi  our  o%vn  ,-  and  so  we  carve  out  to  him  our 
C1V72  '■ivaysoi  reliei',  instead  of  following  bis  will  into  the  dis- 
posals of  his  providence.  \¥q  argue  for  bin),  as  well  as  for 
ourselves  ;  and  hence  come  all  our  fallacies  and  disappoint- 
ments. If  vve  left  it  to  ,6/j-  wisdom  to  arrange  the  arguiuent 
for  U3,  and  o\\\y  follo'x^  as  that  led,  witli  our  own  ;  we  should 
find  a  most  happy  and  invincible  conclusion  la  our  behalf,  at 
the  sum.  To  use  a  familiar  phrase  ;  w^e  v/ant  to  be  masters, 
when  we  ought  to  be  journeymen,  and  are  always  setting  up 
for  ourselves,  before  we  have  learned  our  trade  :  And  the 
consetpjence  is,  a  temporary  bankruptcy.  Do  v/e  not  frequent- 
ly see  artificers  performing  things  in  their  business,  which 
VvC  cannot  account  for;  and  do  we  dispute  their  condii6l  be- 
cause of  our  own  igr^orance  ?  They  cut  down,  hew,  throv/  a- 
bout,  ndngle,  and  perplex  the  various  parts  of  a  frame  or  ma- 
chine, as  it  seems  to  our  apprehension  ;  but  yet  all  goes  on 
Vvith  a  design  in  their  minds,  wliich  Vv^c  arc  not  masters  of. 
Ac  length,  when  tliey  have  put  the  several  particulars  into 
thicir  appointeil  places,  and  combine  all  the  parts  into  a  com- 
plete wliule  ;  we  see  order,  beauty,  and  use,  arise  out  of  a 
very  complicated  and  (to  our  view)  a  very  confused  scene. 
We  cculd  not  investigate  the  artifice  ;  but  we  can  perceive 
tlie  end.  In  like  manner,  comparing  small  things  with  great, 
God  deals  with;  the  individuals  among  his  people,  and  with 
his  temple  the  church  in  generaj.  He  permits  the  world  (as 
it  appears)  to  fall  into  a  multitude  of  cross  purposes,  strange 
ci)  cumstances,  and  perplexing  events,  by  wliich  his  people 
and  church,  together  with  the  world,  are  disordered  and  af- 
fecled.     Private  alTairs  and  public  concerns,  may  :ieem  confu- 

/ 


S  P  I  R  I  'J'     o  t^     1'   R  t)  M   I  S  i;.  :,;5 

seel  beyond  tlic  ski'l  or  povver  of  ncn  to  unravel,  cr  explain 
ihem.  But  when  die  believer  sliail  rcacli  lils  home,  and  inucli 
inore  '^vlicn  the  end  of  all  things  shall  appear;  God's  design 
in  all  v/ill  break  forth  iilustrious,  and  create  astonishment, 
admiralion  and  praise,  at  his  complications  of  wisdom  and 
grdce,  through  beholding  worlds. — Learn  then,  believer,  to 
consider  his  arrangements  of  providence  and  mercy  i'l  tiiis 
view  ;  and  then  nothing  in  the  short  scene  of  thiii^;?  Mow 
will  trouble  thee  much  or  1^  ig.  Leave  God's  s;crcts  to  hiin- 
self,  and  say  with  good  Suhi^m^  '"•  \  do  not  understand  then:  ; 
I  dare  not  investig.ite  th'.-rn  ;  I  even  t:"cn.blc  to  aUer.r  t  i,''' 
The  day  will  soon  irwjear  ;  and  then  the  shadows  ofii: 
shall  flee  away  ;  wiiiie  th?  ob](i(ki5  of  ciliih  u:H  •  '  • 
rise  to  \iew,  witholic  ndniber  or  t:n'A. 

"  But  (says  the  Christian;  liath  not  God  proi;;i.->-i  i:.^-:,  mI 
of  the  Spirit,  in  ordtr  to  assure  vneofuiy  r.  '.Ivntion  ;  an  I  nir.v 
I  not  expecl  this  .''  May  1  not  be  deceived,  if  on  th;i  one  hand 
I  content  rn)'self  with.n:t  it,  or  if  on  the  other  I  presume  on- 
ly th.at  I  have  it?" — God  \r\X.\\  pronisvd  uv.6  real  i  i  or  upon 
believing,  and  when  thou  didst  believe  thou  w.ssc  Fjaled; 
buL  not  with  virions  or  revelations,  but  witli  a  conviction  of 
the  truth  of  God,  and  witii  gracioiis  comfort  flowing  from  that 
conviction.  'Idie  Spirit  of  promise  applies  the  word,  of  pro- 
mise to  the  soul,  ails  by  tiiat  word  usually  as  its  medium, 
gives  the  believer  power  to  rest  upon  it,  and  in  tiiat  power 
conveys  a  demonstration  of  hi^  own  presence  and  of  tlie 
Christian's  title  to  salvation.  Tlie  seal,  however,  is  not  al- 
ways in  comfort  immediately,  though  always  in  grace,  wiiidi 
conneils  the  iieart  ?.nd  life  by  Icve,  and  informs  the  min  I 
with  v^isdom.  'j'he  inscription  of  this  seal,  to  beLnown  and 
read  of  thee  and  of  all  men,  is.  Let  every  one^ibat  ucmetb  tie 
name  of  Christy  depart  froiii  inijuity.  Let  thy  conscience 
make  tliy  appeal  to  this,  and  carefully  read  this  golden  le- 
gend evcrv  day.  It  is  a  true  phylaclerj^',  or  inscribed  front- 
let ;  and  the  plainer  it  is  written,  the*  better.  'And  be  a:- 
rured  of  this,  that  if  heart,  head,  and  life,  I'e  framed  accor- 
ding to  the  v/ord,  and  depend  upon  the  truth  of  C?o.l,  and  wiic 
for  the  salvation  of  God  ;  it  is  a  lurther  proof //v^/  the  Spirit 
liath  j(f^/f^  thee  to  his  eternal  redemption.  Titou  art  not 
to  go  on  contented  ^v'fthcut  rbis  testimony  ;  and  mucli  lc<;s 
Vvith  a  contrary  testimony:  T'or,  believe  what  thou  v.dt,  un- 
less this  j.'^'/be  \Sy)o^^  thee  ;  chou  hast  no  proof  to  thyseffof 
thine  own  sincerity,  nor  to  other=?',  that  th^u^aft  not  an  hy- 
pocrite. As  to  visions  be  contented  without  then'.  :  i  lie  pro- 
phets,  who  had  ttiem,  called  them  a  hurkti  ;  J"  I  lliousand-J 
who  have  pretended  to  have  them,  h,ive  foll<)we<l  their  own 
delusion  r.nd  enihusiarm  to  tiieir  co2t.  Pray  God  to  teach 
/■;  ]:i5  word,   and  according  to  lils  word  :  Tliou  v.'ill  Imi 


tncc 


^^G  SPIRIT     OF     PROMISE, 

wisdom  in  safety  tbcre^  and  more  wisdom  in  depth  than  in  this 
life  thou  fully  canst  know.  And  if  a  wor<i,  apparently  in  sea- 
son^ come  home  to  thy  heart ;  there  is  also  a  rule,  by  which 
thou  mayest  judge  whether  its  application  be  from  the  tuition 
of  God,  or  from  the  mere  elevation  of  thy  own  mind.  If  the 
tho;trght  liumble  thee  in  thy  own  sight,  while  it  warm  thee 
-with  love  to  Christ  j  and  if  it  fill  thee  with  meekness  and 
submission,  as  well  as  complacency  and  comfort  ;  thou  may- 
est be  assured,  that  (as  the  devil  never  deals  in  this  Vv^ay) 
tbc  Lord  is  thy  helper*  But  if  the  idea  excite  a  swelling  (as 
it  were)  of  the  mind,  a  delight  in  its  own  excellence  foi^  the 
thing  spoken  or  conceived,  a  consciousness  or  desire  of  supe- 
riority in  the  heart  over  others,  a  languid  notion  of  the  inter- 
vention of  God,  and  especially  if  it  end  in  high  words,  and 
strong  passions  tovv^ards  men  ;  thou  mayest  justly  fear,  how- 
ever ingenious  or  devout  the  cogitation  may  be  in  shew,  that 
it  is  but  the  ebullition  only  of  the  human  understanding,  un- 
aided and  uninfluenced  bv  the  grace  of  God.  What  God  sends 
to  man  humbles  him  in  himself  and  lifts  him  up  in  another. 
What   man  conceives    from  within,  exalts    self,  and   leaves 

God  out  of  sight. -If  this  rule  were  duly  attended  to  ;  v/e 

should  probably  see  fewer  presumptions  of  self-importance, 
and  more  real  concern  for  the  edification  of  others,  in  the 
professing  world. 

Kappy,  only  happy,  are  they,  who  wait  on  the  Spirit  of 
promise  to  seal  and  to  accomplish  all  the  promises  for  their 
souls  1  Kappy  they,  who  meditate  on  his  word  for  this  end, 
who  love  his  commandments,  and  delight  in  his  ways.  This 
happiness  is  the  privilege  of  every  believer,  the  undoubted 
portion  of  the  children  of  God.  How  happy  would  these  be, 
if  they  knew  their,  own  happiness  !  How  content,  if  they  con- 
sidered God,  as  their  manager,  their  friend,  their  father  ! 
How  satisfied  about  worldly  things,  if  they  duly  lived  in  ex- 
pe6lation  of  heaven  as  their  home.  AVhatever  was  disorder- 
ed about  them,  tbey  could  not  be  touched  ;  nor,  in  worlds  of 
ruin,  can  tbcsc  be  lost.  Tlicir  anchor  cast,  ivitbin  tbe  veil, 
cannot  fail  ;  because  the  proraisc  is  its  liold  :  Their  vessel  of 
grace  shall  never  be  v»'rccked,  for  tbe  Spirit  of  promise  is  at 
the  helm.  This  spirit  shall  preserve  them  by  day  and  by 
i^.ight,  amidst  the  storms  of  life,  and  the  loudest  horrors  of 
death  :  He  will  carry  them  safely  into  the  haven  of  felicity, 
and  give  tbcrn  an  inheritance  among  them,  ivbo,  from  all  past 
2ge8,  do  now  through  faith  and  pat/enee  inherit  tbe  FiioisiisiLs.^ 


O         V         E.  »„, 


:«»: 


LOVE. 

LOVE,  as  it  exists  in  human  nature,  is  the  inclination  or 
affciSlion  of  tlie  mind  to  some  ohjccl,  whicli  it  conceives 
to  be  valuable  in  itself  or  proper  for  its  own  welfare  :  And, 
if  sin  had  brought  no  darkness  or  error  iislo  the  mind,  this  fa- 
culty of  love  would  apply  itself  only  to  what  is  truly  valua- 
ble and  good. 

In  rational  creatures,  thi?  afTeflion  should  be  dircelcd  to 
God  as  the  only  fountain  of  good,  and  to  created  t,ood  ob- 
je6ls,  as  they  relate  to  him  or  may  be  enjoyed  with  him. 

With  respect  to  God,  there  can  be  no  cauie  of  his  love 
beyond  himself  or  out  of  himself  i  and  therefore  this  adeoion 
or  attribute  exists,  independent  of  all  other  objects,  v/ithin 
himself;  for  which  reason,  He  is  revealed  under  the  name 
of  LOVE,  being  the  true  essence  or  source  of  all  that  facul- 
ty or  disposition,  which  we  can  strit^ly  comprehend  by  this 
term. 

From  hence  it  seems  evident,  that,  as  enmity  and  hatred 
are  diametrically  opposite  to  this  benign  character  of  tiic  di- 
vine nature,  they  must  proceed  from  some  other  cause  :  And 
as  whatever  is  thus  contrary  to  God,  must  be  a  revolt  from 
Him,  and  a  departure  from  the  proper  end  of  its  own  crea- 
tion, it  is  therefore  justly  denominated  j/'/z,  which,  a^ain,  be- 
ing repugnant  as  w^rll  to  the  good  ol  the  creature,  as  to  the 
source  of  all  good,  bears  both  the  name  and  the  nature  of 
evil.  Enmity,  consequently,  as  it  appears  in  the  creature 
towards  God  himself,  or  to  what  is  of  God  in  other  objcJls, 
is  but  another  Avord  for  evil  and  sin. 

The  revelation  of  God  informs  us,  how  all  this  depravity 
came  ii:to  our  nature,  which  was  oiig!:iuily  created  uprt^Lt, 
Since  that  awful  event,  it  is  in  human  experience  to  sa),  that 
the  inclinations  of  the  soul  have  naturally  contradidted  th.e 
mind  and  will  of  God,  have  wandered  wide  from  his  love  and 
puritv,  and  so  far  departed  fro^n  the  pure  reaitude  ot  a  pjr- 
fea  creature,  as  to  have  this  ciiaraaer  stamped  by  u.iernng 
truth  upon  the  mind  from  which  they  flow,  thit  it  is  enmtty 
itself,  enmity  in  the  A>slx^a,  a<^ainst  GocL    Rom.  vi.i.  7. 

God  is  love ',  pure,  perfea,  and  incorruptible  love;  but  tlic 
carnalmind,  the  mind  of  every  man  by  nature,  the  minu  which 
is  under  the  dominion  of  his  flesh  and  makes  this  hcsh  his  on- 
ly  end,  is  corrupted,  debased,  and  absordcd  with  cn:vitx. 


293  L         O         V        E. 

From  this  direcl  opposition  of  God  and  man,  wliicli  is  for- 
cibly c::p:c3sedby  these  opposite  terms,  we  may  perceive 
tile  use  and  design  oF  the  Bible;  for  the  blessed  volume  de- 
scribes this  opposition  in  its  nature  2ind  effects^  and  points  out 
from  thence  both  the  necessity  and  the  victbod  of  reconcilia- 
tion. 

The  Bible  describes  the  nature  of  this  enmity  to  be  rooted 
in  i//7,  and  this  sin  to  consist  in  transgression  or  disobedience 
of  God's  law.  The  Bible  also  slates,  that  tiiis  holv  lav/  waS 
communicated  to  hian,  both  in  precept  and  sanclion.  By 
keeping  it,  wiiich  in  his  pcrfe6l  state  he  was  easily  able  to 
do,  he  wa$  to  Ihe^  or  (in  more  extended  phrase)  to  live  hap- 
py and  blessed  ;  but  in  transgressing  it,  he  was  surely  to  &, 
or  be  cut  off  from  the  source  of  all  life  and  happiness  in  body 
and  soul.  He  broke  this  law,  and  plunged  hiniself  into  rebel- 
lion :  And  this  rebellion  (as  was  before  observed)  is  the  prin- 
ciple and  ground  of  all  his  enmity,  or  sin,  against  his  Maker. 

The  effects  of  this  apostasy  are  clearly  seen  in  his  ruin. 
As  he  became  opposite  to  the  love  of  (^dd,  he  became  pos- 
sessed with  enm.ity;  being  contrary  to  the  holiness  of  God, 
he  was  filled  with  sin  ;  repugnant  to  the  goodness  of  God, 
he  was  seized  with  evil  ;  and  cut  off  from  the  life  of  God,  he 
inherited  death  spiritual,  temporal,  and  eternal.  The  divine 
nature  could  not  be  contaminated  by  nor  hold  communion 
with  a  sinful  nature  :  And  therefore  there  ensued  a  separa- 
tion of  God  from  man,  vvhich,  having  every  dreadful  conse- 
quence to  the  latter,  is  expressed  by  the  wrath,  abhorrence, 
vengeance,  judgment,  &c.  of  God — 'f  erms  adapted  to  the 
working;;  and  capacities  of  the  human  mind,  and  used  to  mark 
out  its  entire  alienation  (with  the  said  elFecTs  of  it)  from  its 
maker.  Inhere  is  no  wrath  in  God,  as  wrath  ;  because  He 
is  wiiollylove  :  But  his  separation  of  man  from  th.e  partici- 
pation of  his  love,  with  all  its  various  blessings,  operates  up- 
on the  human  passions,  now  defiled  vv^ith  enmity,  under  the 
notions  and  impressions  of  anger  and  indignation.  Thus 
God's  love,  being  pure  and  unapproachable  by  sin,  becomes  a 
most  dreadful  and  even  horrible  attribute  to  a  sinner;  be- 
cause, as  a  sinner,  lie  can  never  come  nigh  to  God,  never 
Isold  communion  v/iih  liim,  nor  receive  delightor  blessedness 
from  liir.i.  And  if  divine  Vv'isdom  had  not  found  a  method  of 
reconciliation  ;  human  nature  wouldand  muEt  have  sustained 
V\diatever  cai--!  be  conceived  under  the  av^-ful  idea  of  damnati- 
f'M,  or  the  state  of  absolute  reic6iion  from  the  presence  of 
Go::. 

l^y  tliccc  considerations  it  miglit  appear,  were  it  necessa- 
ry to  extend  tlicm,  that  enmity,  sin,  wrath,  and  misery,  with 
oihcr  v/ords  of  the  like  import,  are  all  correlative  terms, 
wliich  o-nly  vr.riously  express  the  nature  or  cffccis  of  man's 


L        O        V        K. 

ullenation  from  God.     Th.y  are  uU  Iranclics  of  one  ba'-^u! 
tree,    the   iruit  ot    wh.ch   i.   ti.c    full    con.olction   of  hJJu. 
v/iretchpdness  aiid  woe. 

Qn  tht)  other  hand,  the  word  /c>t;r  i.  :Jso  corrc-latlvc  and 
entirely  coimeaed  Nvitu  Qv^ry  other  divine  attribute  and  per 
Action,  or  with  wlutever  may  be  calL-d  by  thobc  n;;n:.-8  •  It 
has,  and  can  have,  no  dljercncc  from  them,  however  d'S'in 
giiisbed,  by  a  merciful  condesceuaion,  for  the  better  comt)rc. 
iitiision  of  our  minds.  lUgbtcousness,  for  instance,  is  only  j, 
name  tor  this  hva  in  ^^f  and  ff^t^rcvj;? .-  For  the  love  of  God 
in  its  energies  does  only  what  is  right  or  rl-hteous.  Love  is 
the  n^otive  of  all  his  adlion,  according  to  the  Scriptures  - 
ami,  by  communicating  this  love,  he  reuder^  it  the  c-i:icntial 
principle  of  all  rti^hteous  aclion  in  man.  Joiin  iii.  i6.  i  Cor. 
xiii.  4,  ikcTriitii,  purity,  and  the  liL:c,  are  also  but  love  \'x 
particular  lorms,  aC^(,ions,  or  aspects.  In  short,  all  the  attri- 
butes and  perfections  of  the  divine  nature,  have  tiieir  essenci 
in  /a-jj  ;  and  the  tern\  love  is  but  a  glorious  title  for  tiie  grand 
as3embiage  of  them,  denominating  (as  the  liibleliath)  ilic  firit: 
and  supreme  nature.  God  //  love  then,  unitin'<,  as  in  tliat 
one  attribute,  all  the  other  predicaments  and  glories  of  his. 
inajesty  and  good^ness ;  not /^c^r  accidens^  but  in  es-Jentiahty  : 
And,  with  respecl  to  his  creatures,  there  is  no  grace  nor  acl 
of  righteousness,  but  what  is  an  emanation  from  the  same 
principle,  enlivening,  invigorating,  and  making  them   haopy. 

It  is  hoped,  that  this  kind  of  deduction  will  not  he  thought: 
too  metaphysical,  as  it  derives  every  portion  of  itj  wciiHa 
from  the  Scriptures,  and  only  aims  to  evince  from  the  nature 
of  all  vve  see  and  know,  in  full  proof  and  connexion  with  sa- 
cred authority,  that  divine  love  is  union,  and  the  desire  of 
unity,  and  can  only  subsist  between  objeeis  connatural;  be- 
cause (according  to  the  apostle)  OoX  or  Christ  bath  no  con- 
cord ^jj'itb  Belial^  nor  bis  v/orks  :\\r/  J^j/Ic-u'sb/J?  liitb  tbe  ;-r.' 
fruitful  vjorks  of  darkness^ 

Now,  man's  nature,  since  the  fall,being  entirely  defiled  hy 
sin,  an.l  consequently  unlike  that  of  his  maker;  there  ran  be 
no  harmony  or  communion  between  them,  uncil  the  principle 
of  this,  disagreement  be  removed.  And  if  this  principle  be 
not  removed,  the  enmity  or  opposition  of  the  creature  to  God 
can  end  in  nothing  but  the  creaUire's  misery  aJidruin.  llcncc: 
aijpears,  for  man's  sake,  the  n^ccssiij  before-mentioned  of  a 
nev/  and  positive  reconciliation. 

li  the  necessity  of  this  reconciliation  be  clear,  it.  is  of  irn- 
portance  to  inquire  for  tlie  method  or  r.ieir.is  by  which  it  inr.v 
be  obtained,  llow  then  sliall  this  be  accomplisived  ? — GOD 
cannot  cinnge  his  own  nature  :  And  can  nun  expel  the  sin- 
fulness, v/hich  is  nov/  intermixed  v.  i'.h  .his  ?   It  is  confessedly 


306  L         O         V         E. 

beyond  his  powers  either  of  will  or  wisdom.*  He  might  jl^ 
soon  overcome  the  force  of  diseuse  and  death,  as  overcome 
the  cause  which  produced  them.  He  cannot,  he  would  not, 
ill  his  prcEcnt  unrenewed  constitution,  exterminate  sin.  It 
follows,  then,  thar  the  enmity  must  be  removed,  if  removed 
at  ail,  by  a  superior  power. 

But,  can  any  superior  created  power  perform  this  great  ope- 
ration ?  Can  any  dependent  being  reconcile  HIM,  on  whom 
he  depends  for  his  bsmg,  with  another  creature  who  is  equal- 
ly dependent  with  iiimself  f  Admitting  the  inclination,  where 
is  the  ability  ?  For  the  obstacles  to  be  removed  are,  the  sins 
innumerable  of  a  vast  multitude  of  human  creatures,  the  na- 
tural rebellion  of  those  creatures  against  God,  and  their  e- 
qually  natural  aversion  to  righteousness  and  true  holiness  : 
And  the  means  to  be  employed  are,  the  presentation  of  a  com- 
plete atonement  to  God's  infinite  attribute  of  justice,  which 
must,  as  such,  reward  all  iniquity  w^ith  its  desert ;  the  intro- 
du6lion  of  a  perfe6l  righteousness,  which  might  entitle  to  e- 
verlasting  reward  ;  and  the  transformation  of  myriads  of 
souls  into  the  image  of  God  and  conformity  with  him. — ^'Tis 
as  absurd  to  suppose,  that  a  creature  can  accomplish  a  work 
so  transcendent,  so  infinite  and  everlasting  both  in  itself  and 
its  effe6ls  :  as  to  believe,  that  a  fly  could  impel  the  stars  to 
move  in  their  courses  by  the  puny  efforts  of  its  wing. 

Here  appear,  in  full  glory,  the  wisdom,  power,  and  bene- 
volence of  ythovab  as  revealed  in  the  gospel.  By  it  alone 
we  see,  how  mercy  and  truth  are  met  together.^  how  righte- 
oiisiicss  and  peace  have  kissed  each  other.  What  man  of  him- 
self would  not  do,  and  what  neither  he  nor  all  the  creatures 
can  do  1  it  hatli  pleased  infinite  benignity  to  take  upon  it- 
self. It  hath  performed  the  whole  in  a  manner  so  astonish- 
ing and  gracious,  tliat,  unless  the  same  benignity  had  reveal- 
ed the  plan  as  well  as  undertaken  the  execution,  the  most 
refined  intellect  of  man  could  not  have  soared  to  conceive  it. 

That  Jehovah  should  appoint  a  mediator,  fitted  both  by 
divhiity  :xvA humanity  to  interpose  between  the  Godhead  and 
the  creature  ;  that  this  mediator,  as  Jehovah^  should  merit, 
and  impute  what  he  merited,  to  the  creature's  account  ;  and, 
as  ;7z^w,  should  susTer,  wliat  the  creature  must  otherwise  have 
suffered  fur  its  apostasy  ;-\  that  so  marvellous  a  constitution 

*  It  is  the  despairing  language  of  the  famous  heathen  moralist ; 
Idem  semper  de  nojis pronu-atiarc  debebimus.^  malos  esse  noSy  males  fiiisscy 
ju-jitus  adjiciam,  ei  futu.^os  esse.     Sen.  de  benef.  1.  i.  c.  10. 

t  There  hath  been  a  man  in  the  vrorld  not  ashamed  to  profess, 
for  himself  and  his  party;  Crcdimus,  etianis:  non  semel  atque  jt'e- 
jtUM,  .se^  satis  crcbro  ct  dissertissiir.e  scriptum  exstaret^  detnn  ess^ 
homimm  factum^  midto  satius  esse,  quia  hac  res  sit  absurdaj  ^■^  sana 


i.  U  V  1,.  yJl 

-iiojid  obtain,  in  v/h'icii  all  llvj  attributes  and  glories  of  the 
(iodhead  are  rendered  most  wonderiully  illustrious,  while 
the  creature  i.i  pardoned,  juutiuod,  renewed,  and  saved;  k\\ 
this  a;)pt'a:s  so  much  abo\  e  the  size  of  man's  undersiand- 
ing,  that  even  lo  look  unon  it,  now  it  is  revealed,  and 
revealed  too  only  in  purt^  (l  Cor.  xili.  9,  IC.)  dazrdcs  with 
such  a  splendor  oT  grace  and  glory,  as  to  com'.nand  .1  confcs- 
Eion  of  its  divine  authority  from  every  enlightened  mind. 
Those,  who  see  not  this  divine  goodness  and  beauty,  may  in- 
deed  bo.st  of  enlarged  understandings  as  loud  as  they  please  ; 
but  they  must  pardon  the  Christian,  if,  in  believing  God  ra- 
ther than  man,  he  concludes,  that  every  mind,  which  con- 
ceives nothing  of  God's  liberality  in  this  case,  must  neces- 
sarily be  mean,  narrow,  and  darkened.     Eph.  iv.  18. 

In  this  most  interesting  way  hath  God  demor.stratcd  him- 
self to  be  Love.  It  is  a  magnificent  attribute  of  himself,  and 
necessarily  essential  to  his  nature.  His  very  existence  mig'ut 
as  well  be'denied,  as  this  super-eminent  gloiy  and  perfedion 
of  it. 

^\Ve  know  livAX.  God  is  love  hy  ihc  ejects :  For  all  th.c  tf- 
re(^ts  proclaim,  in  their  method,  magnitude,  and  cxtensio!i, 
that  their  cause  .must  be  God  alone.  In  tbis  'v:as  mauifcstcd 
the  love  of  God  toi^ards  us  (says  St.  JobiiJ  b^^caiisc  that  God 
sent  bis  onh  begotten  ^jon  into  the  'ujorld,  that  li^e  mighty  hvc^ 
tbrougb  him.  i  John  iv.  9.  Here  the  mention  is  made  i^i 
this  iove  existing  in  the  personality  of  tiie  deity;  and  here, 
in  particular,  appears  the  love  of  the  Father.^  In  the^next 
instance,  the  love  of  the  Son  is  equally  manii^est.  Hereby 
(says  the  same  apostle)  perceive  we-  tbe  love  of  Gcd^  because 
be  [God  the  Son]  uiid  down  bis  life  for  us,  1  John  in.  16. 
Another  apostle  also  mentions  the  love  of  the  Si'iiuT  (Ron^. 
xv.  -o  :j  And  in  what  peculiar  office  doth  this  gracious  agent 
disDlay  his  love  to  ih.e  children  of  men?  The  Scriptures, 
which  he  diaated,  tcztiFy  concerning  it  with  full  and  repeat- 
ed evidence.  Bv  this  Spirit  his  pec^^l"  -i^'e  quickened  irom 
tbe  death  of  trespasses  and  sins,  and  have  an  access  to  the  la- 
ther. E  V  his  omnipotent  po^yer,  they  are  reneived  in  tbe  :>pi- 
rit  of  their  :::ind,  obtain  f.iich  to  confide  in  the  -reat  i.cdcem- 
cr,  and  apply  all  the  work  of  his  salvation  to  the.r  soi.ts  J.;. 
his  eirectual  grace,  they  'bring  forth  fruit  unto  God,  and  ho.J 

rationi  p^ane  contraria,  ^  in  Dnun  hlasphcma,  ^''^'''^.fTi^i'.t- 
tendi  conv.ninisci,  quo  ista  dc  Deo  dici  possnu^nam  nla  ..K.y^A.  //o 
it  a  ut  verba  sonant  intclllgerc,  Smalcius  a.^udW  '^^- f^'^''\^[:  ^'J' 
r;0.  It  would  be  happy,  if  the  boldness  and  imp.eiN  of  l.csc  sen- 
timents werenoiuoie  living  than  the  lantrua-e  in  ^^  n    '•    '^  ^  -    ^ 

written. 

Pp 


-i  L         O        V        E. 

out  unto  the  end.  In  a  word,  all  the  fruits  of  rigbtcGusness^ 
<^^\)bicb  arc  Qix^  tbrougb  Jcstis  Cbrist^  unto  tbe  glory  and 
praise  of  God  (Phil.  1.  1 1,)  are  tbc  fruit  of  tbe  Spirit,  as  the 
grand  agent  ot  the  whole.  In  this  way  it  is,  that  he  wit- 
iiesseth  for  Christ  in  his  people,  and  so  becomes  the  pledge 
of  their  salvation  ;  and  he  witnessethy^r  l>is  people  to  their 
own  consciences  and  to  the  world,  that  indeed  they  are  re- 
clftrntdfrom  ibt  canb^  in  being  redeemed  from  liie  corruptions 
ibat  arc  in  it  tbrougb  lust,  and  (what  is  harder  still)  redeem- 
ed from  tbcinsches. 

This  operatisn  of  the  Spirit  is  in  perfccl  concord  with  the 
will  and  work  of  the  Father  and  the  Son,  and  is  also,  in  all 
its  intentions,  the  result  of  that  everlasting  covenant  which 
suhsistiid  before  the  world  began.  One  and  the  same  love, 
however  diversilied  in  their  official  engagements,  actuates  the 
ETERNAL  Thrle  ;  bccause  they  are  but  one  Godhead  :  And 
however  tlie  manifestations  may  vary,  according  to  the  ca- 
pacity of  creatures  to  apprehend  them,  redemption  is  but  one 
undivided  work,  and  the  concurrent  energy  of  the  Teree 
Pkj;sons  upon  the  objccls  of  that  redemption,  in  the  several 
odices  of  choice,  calling,  justification,  sanctification,  and  re- 
ceiving to  glory. 

Froui  hence  it  vv'ill  appear,  that  this  H(!>ia"  Spirit,  as  well 
r.s  the  Sc-n.,  must  be  God  over  all^  blessed  for  ever  ;  because  all 
}iis  operations  appear  to  be  divine  and  from  himself;  nay,  be- 
cause they  render  eft'ei^lnal  the  operations  of  the  other  two 
divine  persons,  which,  Vv'ithout  his  completion  of  the  gracious 
(ccoiu)niy  ifor  aught  v/e  can  see,)  miglit  be  void  or  in 
vjiin.*  It  was  for  this  reason,  that  our  blessed  Lord  himself 
refers  the  full  explanation  and  effe6l  of  his  own  mission 
to  the  agency  of  the  tbird person  ;  v/here  he  promises  to  his 
disciples,  that  tbe  Comforter,  '^j^bicb  is  tbe  Holy  Ghost, 
^j^bom  tbe  Father  (says  h^i)  iv  ill  send  in  my  name,  sball  teacb 
youalltbitigs  (John  xiv.  26.)  will  guide  you  into  all  tbc  trutb^f 
^and  sball g/orify  ME.  John  xvi.  13,  14.  Thus  CZ?r/j^  testifi- 
ed of  the  S/>irit^  as  tbe  Fatbcr  had  testified  of  bijn  (Matth. 
iii.  17  :)  And  the  Spirit  also  was  to  testify,  in  return,  of 
(.'brist  and  the  Father  ;  else,  how  is  that  passage  to  be  un- 
dcrst0(ul,  Vv'liere  the  Redeemer  says,  all  things  tbat  tbe  Fa- 
ther batb^  arc  mi.^e  ;   tbcrefore  said  /,  tbat  FIe  [the  Spirit] 

*  To  a  similar  ^{\ei^  speaks  the  Cze7i,:^er'n:s  confession  of  faith, 

first  published  i-n  1570.     Hi  tresy  Patery  SermOy  et  Spiritus s::7it 

unum  in  adoratione  ;  sicut  enivi  JJeiis  Pater  sine  Filio  suo  et  Spiritn 
Sav.eto  ell'^erey  crearCy  sanctifcare  nan  potest  ;  ita  Paler  sine  I'ilio  eL 
Spirits  Scncto  Dcils  Johova  adorandiLs  esse  non  potest,  Syntag.  conf. 
P.  i.  p.  193. 

t  Zi;'7:xcrjy>  r-n  ct.\%^zixy,  u  e.  of  things  uccessarv  to  salvr^tion* 


L      o      V      r. 

shall  take  cf  mine,  and  shall  shciv  it  unto  you  ^  John  xvi.  i  c. 
These  reciprocal  testimonies  of  the  (.livinc  persons  to  each 
other,  prove  their  intercommunity  or  oneness  of  (jotlhcad, 
for  there  is  but  one  God  ;  while,  from  thence,  tliey  declare] 
as  plainly  as  words  can  declare,  the  proper  diviniiy  of  cj«Ji 
of  the  three  witnesses,  as  persons  or  consubsisLenccs  in  tUat 
Godhead. 

The  like  reciprocity  holds  good  in  \.\\c  experience  of  ihc 
faithful.  They  will  own,  tlnt^iiey  could  never  have  known 
the  Father^  as  the  Father  of  mjrcics^  but  through  the  .y^.-i  ,- 
according  to  the  express  declaration  o/' 6'/>r///  himself,  nt-/- 
tbcr  kno^ethany  man  the  Father^  save  the  \on,  and  he  to  unborn- 
soever  the  So7i  will  reveal  him.  Matth.  xi.  27.  And  a^ain, 
God  [the  Fatlier]  hath  sent  fsrth  the  Spirit  cf  his  Son  /r//w 
your  hecrts^  crying,  Abha,  Father.  Gal.  iv.  6.  It  wonld  be 
easy  10  offer  numerous  passages  of  Scripture,  where  ti>€se 
references  arc  made  from  tlie  olTice  of  one  divine  person  to 
those  of  the  others,  and  where  again  the  unit\  of  tl)e  three  i* 
equally  apparent  and  undeniable.  It  will  be  sutlicicnt,  per- 
haps, only  to  add  in  this  place,  that  if  to  know  (5od  rec[nircs 
divine  teaching,  to  love  God  in  deed  and  in  crulh  must  neces- 
sarily be  the  eife6l  of  divine  power.  \\\  faci,  the  right  iu:^\v- 
ledge  and  the  trv.e  love  of  Gocl  arc  so  much  one  and  the  same, 
that  it  is  impossible  to  separate  them  in  Christian  experience, 
or  even  Christian  do6lrine  :  And  it  is  the  savin;;  oiTice  i»f  the 
divine  Spirit  to  lead  and  guide  the  redet*ined  into  the  |>o.s;c£- 
sion  of  both.  Upon  this  ground  alone  can  "•  the  splendid  u- 
nion"  of  tastl  and  truth,  in  a  sense  more  sublime  than 
the  philosophical,  be  established  fer  an  c'm\  the  most  impor- 
tant of  all  to  man, — his  everlastirig  welfare. 

The  Holy  Spirit  Is,  tl.erefore,  the  grand  communicator 
and  applicr  of  the  love  of  the  Godhead  to  the  souls  of  the  re- 
deemed. He  prepares  tlieir  liearts  for  the  reception  of  this 
love,  and  then  sheds  it  abroad  upon  thc\n  as  tht-y  arc  able  t  » 
bear  it.  la  doing  this.  He  eff<f;(51uatcs  th-e  eledion  of  the  Fj- 
tbcr  unto  life,  and  manifests  it  by  repeated  proofs  to  i!rj  soul. 
The  salvation  of  tl^.e  Sen  also  lie  applies  to  his  people,  and 
seals  them  unto  the  day  of  redemption.  And,  in  the  perform- 
ance of  this  gracious  ^vork  in  all  its  branches,  he  fullIU  l.i ; 
own  divine  oiiice,  and  proves  Ijinnself  in  the  fad  to  be  a  nel- 
son in  the  ever  living  and  true  God.  For,  \\\\o  beside  isi.u- 
ficient  for  these  tilings  : 

It  was  this  divine  Spirit,  who  in  tiie  beginning  moved  upon 
the  face  of  the  waters,  to  rivify  what  was  creating  in  thii 
nrateriul  world;  and  it  w:;3  He,  who  overshad.Kved  i\.Q  bles- 
sed virgin,  to  quicken  and  produce  that  holy  substance,  which 
therefore  should  he  called  the  Son  of  God,  It  is  tlic  same  a'- 
iT;iv»hiv   r.2:cnr,  whi  move-  upon  tbc   troubled  hear-l  -n  z  s»"- 


304  LOVE. 

nsr,  and  generates  a  new  life  in  that  fallen  spirit,  which  be- 
fore was  dead  to  God,  to  itself,  and  to  glor)'. 

If  tiiese  premises  be  true,  or,  ratlier,  if  tlie  holy  Scriptures 
be  true  from  which  thecc  prciPiiscs  are  gathered  ;  is  it  possi- 
ble to  mistake  the  author  and  agent  of  so  much  infinite  and 
everlasting  love,  for  a  creature^  for  an  emanation^  for  a  cfua- 
liiy  ?  if  tlie  Spirit  batb  love  (and  we  read  in  God's  revela- 
tion both  of  the  love  and  the  J'ruUs  of  the  Spirit  ;  )  can  the 
love  which  exists  in  him,  be  the  finite  love  of  a  created  being, 
and  yet  be  coeval  and  cooperative  v/ith  the  Father  of  niercies, 
in  the  everlasting  salvation  of  sinners?  If  love  be  of  God^ 
can  the  kve  of  the  Spirit^  which  is  everlasting  in  all  its  fruits 
and  operations,  be  any  thing  else  beside  that  love  of  God  I 
And  if  God  himself  be  lo''je^  can  the  very  Spirit  of  x}\:x\.  love  be 
less  or  any  thing  else  than  God?  Surely  one  should  think, 
that  no  man,  who  credits  the  Bible,  and  certainly  no  man, 
who  in  the  least  understands  it,  can  liesitate  upon  so  obvious 
a  matter.  An  infidel,  indeed,  escapes  the  conclusion  by  de- 
nying the  premises,  vet  escapes  it  by  involving  himself  in  the 
mazes  of  inextricable  doubt  and  perplexity,  where  he  can 
give  no  clear  or  just  account  either  of 'the  author  or  design 
of  his  own  being.  But  a  professor  of  Christianity,  with  the 
B'ble  in  his  hand,  reje6ling  the  principles  of  that  Bible  which 
conne61:  it  as  a  system  of  saving  truth,  and  these  principles 
in  particular  concerning  tiie  personality  in  Jehovah^  on  which 
the  Vv^hole  fabric  of  redemption  is  raised  ;  is  indeed  a  most  in- 
consistent creature,  and  would  render  the  revelation  of  his 
maker  just  as  incongruous  as  himself.  'Tis  rio  wonder,  that 
such  men  rail  at  divine  truth  in  a  system,  while  their  blind- 
ness doth  not  see  one,  and  which  not  being  seen  by  them- 
selves, the  pride  of  an  unsan6iiiied  understanding  will  not 
allow,  that  others  should  be  favored  to  behold  it.  But  Christ 
hath  given  the  reason  of  all  this,  in  Matth.  xi.  25,  &c.  Sec 
also  Dan.  xii.  10.  And  yet,  after  all,  it  seems  most  palpably 
absurd,  that  men  slionld  study  tlie  order,  relations  and  coii- 
neclicns  of  other  truth,  as  a  bright  and  beautiful  WHoLii,  in 
all  the  sciences,  and  at  the  same  time  refuse  to  the  revelation 
of  the  God  of  ti  uti)  a  characier  of  syrnmetrv,  union,  and  per- 
fe^tlion,  whicii  they  tiiink  essential  in  eve;y  ordinary  hypo- 
thesis.*" Blessed  be  God,  li(jwe\'er,  his  VvKsdom  and  truth 
are  j/crfecl  ;  and  the  more  the  eyes  of  men  are  enlightened  by 
Ids  grace,  the  niore  of  this  perfccVion  and  harmony  do  they 
see  in  all  bis  counsels  of  salvation. 

*  A  h.te  ingenious  plnlosopher,  conmicnting  upon  his  favorite 
5^^  vm<",  iifctth  truly  said,  that,  "even  negati^ce  Wwih^ -dwd  negative 
conclnfeions  ca.nKt  subsist,  but  by  ^r/;7^ni,§- terms  and  propositions 
together^  £0  Kcxcssarj  is  this  uniting  power  to  evkry  species  pf 
KK0WLFDO£,"     ilarris's  Ilcnr.cs,  p.  364,  note* 


].         O         \^         K.  30^ 

T^ie  man,  who  liatli  tested  itat  tic  Lord  is  grr.dcuSy  and 
who  K!;ows  '■c:hom  be  Law  dcdicvcd^'\  halii  the  'xitncss  in  tim- 
sclj\  that  tl.c  Spirit  is  love  and  the  Gcd  of  lo'h.  !'ii  ];fciicA 
.coiiforHiity  "with  tl:c  rc\calcd  wyrd,  \vhich  this  Holy  Spirit 
f.;ave  forth  in  anticnt  times,  he  believes  in  the  ciioniiy  of  his 
person,  and  rejoices  in  the  evidence  oi'  his  |:ower.  'i  lie  voice 
of  th'j  Spirit  in  the  gospel,  and  the  breathing  ^jf  the  Sjiilt  in 
l.is  inmost  soiil^  are  the  fiuwing  love  of  an.  infinite  t-i'usc,  and 
excite  his  a.Tection,  di;v'otion,  and  gratitude,  in  rtLurn.  He 
reasons,  and  by  this  gracious  Preceptor  he  leasons  rightly, 
and  from  matter  oi  "fuel,  that  an  af-rcnt,  ailing  uoon  hiin  for 
his  translution  from  darkness  to  light ^  overcoming-  the  most 
rooted  and  inbred  enmii^  of  his  heart  to  the  will  \i.UL\  ways 
of  Gcd,  inducing  at  tlie  same  tiiue  a  new  and  lively  alfetlion 
to  them,  and  enabling  him  to  resist  the  impetuous  torrent  ci 
temptations  from  the  world,  tlie  fi^sli  and  the  devii,  and  to 
hold  fast  a  hope,  which  hath  very  little  to  exptet  in  this  life,  ' 
and  in  some  cases  is  againct  all  tlie  carnal  interests  of  it;  with 
steadiness  to  the  end;  that  sucli  an  agent  as  fully,  at  least, 
demonstrates  himseU'  to  be  God,  as  the  material  universe  it- 
self can  prove,  that  the  hand,  which  Uiade  it,  is  dislike.  'Tis 
true,  the  argument,  drawn  from  experience,'  would  net  be 
conclusive,  if  alone  ;  nor,  in  that  case,  could  it  be  cxpcdled 
to  silence  the  oppositio:i  of  the  gainsaver  ;  but  when  the  ex- 
perimental proof  is  not  only  corroborated  by  th.e  testimony 
of  God's  v/ord,  but  is  appealed  to  by  that  word,  owtz  great 
^)urpose  of  which  is  to  produce  and  confirm  it  ;  then  it  is  no 
loitger  a  particular  arg'iment,  confined  to  individuals,  but  a 
general  tialh,  v/hich  is  cjinislcnilj  to  be  acknowledg.-d  by  all 

t  2  Tim.  i.  12.  To  /c/Zo^ty  God,  or  Chribt,  or  the  Holy  Sph-it,  in 
the  sense  of  the  apostle,  is  not  a  tlicoretic  or  specv.Intive  roticn,rais- 
cd  in  the  mind  by  the  powers  of  reason  ;  but  a  divine  comniunica- 
tion  and  impression,  through  the  nieuns  of  grace  usually,  upon  the 
sensitive  as  well  as  intellectual  faculties  of  the  h:ouI.  Hence  the 
llcbrev/ word  for  the  vji:idjm  which  lends  to  saivmion,  is  ilcrlved 
from  a  root  which  relates  to  the  taste  i,\u\  sensiUc  pcrceJ4:c:i :  And 
lience  the  ano:stle,  evldeiVJy  bearing  in  nunil  the  ori'^^inal  idea,  men- 
tions the  savour  of  this  knov/ledre,  the  tastin^^  that  the  Lord  is  j;ra- 
cious,  and  the  handling  the  word  of  life  ;  which  is  a  manner  of 
speaking  that  aopliesto  tlic  cerL.-dnty  and  dcmouitr.aicn,  \vl;ich 
the  soul  obtains"  conceridng  thei>e  objeas.  Tiie  coiiseiiuencc  of 
this  scriotural  reasoning  is,  that  '•  carnal  men,  lucking  lie  Spirit  of 
Christ,"  *^v*hen  thev  talk  of  helievh^^  God,  c^xnot  be  siiid  to  know 
whom  they  profess  to  have  believed  ;  but,  at  most,onl>  i<»  guess,  or 
dream,  concerning  him.  And  they,  of  all  others,  are  lc;.:,l  lihcly  to 
Iluow  any  thing  of  the  matter,  v  :  :>  :.re  V.-'^^r  --  --^  ro  ckijy  the 
agency  of  tiuit  divine  perso:,  v.vec.^e  o» 

t4:s  hind  can  be  obt/'.ned. 


3c6  LOVE. 

those,  who  profess  to  receive  the  outward  testimony*  Wc 
have  a  chart  of  the  coast  of  Hew  Zealand^  and  we  have  navi- 
gators who  have  landed  upon  that  island:  Would  it  be 
thought  decent  to  say,  that  their  landing  proves  nothing  of 
the  reality  of  that  country  to  others,  however  it  might  iden- 
tify the  spot  and  confirm  the  chart  to  themselves  ?  The  case 
in  divinity  stands  upon  a  stronger  foundation  than  this  in  na- 
ture. God  himself  hath  drawn  the  plan  of  his  spiritual  king' 
dom  ;  and  one  particular  portion  of  it  is  the  earnest  of  his 
Spirit  in  the  heart  ;  v.'hich,  in  the  plan,  is  defined  to  be  rigb- 
teoiisness^  and pcace^and joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost.  Rom.  xiv.  17. 
^Vill  any  man  acknowledge  the  truth  of  the  plan,  and  yet  be 
so  inconsistent  as  to  deny  the  existence  of  what  the  plan  de- 
lineates ?  Is  it  not  grossly  absurd  to  admit,  that  indeed  the 
kingdom  of  God  is  all  this  righteousness,  peace  and  joy,  and 
yet  that  these  arc  not  to  be  felt,  or  known  ?  And  is  it  not  e- 
qually  absurd  to  allovr,  that  though  these  do  exist  by  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  yet  ihat  he  is  neither  -Aperwn 
nor  agent.,  or  (if  he  be)  that  he  is  not  essentially  divijie  f  All 
this  would  be  not  only  making  the  word  of  God  of  no  effect., 
but  would  be  placing  it  beneath  the  mere  morality  of  heathens, 
and  putting  it  upon  a  level  with  the  wildest  reveries  of  im- 
postors— One  might  add,  below  even  them;  for  there  might 
be  soTne  shov/  of  consistency  in  these  ;  but,  in  the  other  case, 
the  Bible  would  be  a  bundle  of  contradictions,  of  promises  un- 
-.fulfilled,  of  intentioHG  in  themselves  everlastingly  important, 
never  to  be  performed. 

It  may  be  retorted;  *' if  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit  be  love, 
how  is  it,  that  those,  who  profess  to  believe  in  him,  have  oft- 
en so  little  of  this  love  in  their  hearts  and  lives?  Why  then 
are  there  so  many  se61s  and  divisions  among  Christians  ?  And 
wherefore  do  tliey  hold  such  odia  tbeologica^  such  religious 
oppositions  among  themselves?" — This  is  too  much  a  truth, 
even  though  it  were  spoken  by  the  accuser  of  the  brethren. 
But  it  may  be  answered,  that  tlie  profession  of  a  truth  by 
the  tor.guG  is  one  thing;  and  the  possession  of  that  trutli 
in  the  soul  quite  another.  There  are  thousands,  who  can 
give  no  better  account  of  their  name  as  Christians,  than  that 
it  is  the  fashion  and  religion  of  the  country  in  which  they 
were  born.  There  are  thousands  who  never  read  the  Bible 
through,  nor  scarce  so  much  as  lowk  into  it,  who  still  would 
be  offended  at  the  vci-y  doubt  of  their  Christianity.  There 
are  thousands  also,  who  only  read  it  to  cavil  out  of  it;  as 
though  it  were  a  book  of  arguments,  with  whicli  they  were 
to  dispute  against  all  mankind.  There  are  ot'ner  thousaJids 
who  have  been  bred  up  in  a  party  or  persuasion  ;  and  there- 
fore they  thip.k  tliemsclves  bound  injionour  to  maintain  i:. 
And  there  are  a*:  man'*"  more,  who  r,incv  it  a  point  of  clever- 


I'  O  V  H.  ,,y 

ncss  and  understanding  to  invent  new  mstiiodj  of  dijlcrcnc- 
and  distinaion,tosuuply  perhaps  tlic  place  uf  those  which 
are  worn  out  and  ahnost  forgotten  in  the  world.  liut  all  these 
litigious  and  irreligious  wits,  however  they  may  be  bemoaned' 
for  their  own  sakes,  do  not  destroy  the  reality  of  the  gosod, 
but  rather  faliil  its  prcdiclions.  "Tiiey  do  not  ])iove,  that 
there  are  uo  fruits  of  the  .S>/m,  but,  only,  that  they  them- 
selves have  them  not.  Much  less  can  they  infer,  that  there 
is  no  Spirit  of  love,  but,  at  most,  that  tlicy  have  not  the 
love  oj  tbc  Spirit.  If  such  cannot  be  said  to  knovj  xchom  tb.-y 
have  bdicjcd  ;  how  can  tbcir  ignoiance,  or  ignorance  of  any 
kind,  afleCt  the  truth? 

The  Holy  Spirit  himself  hath  sufiicicntiy  cleared  this  mat- 
ter. From  ^whence  come  u^iirs  and  fightings  [or  litigations  of 
words]  among  yeu  ?  Come  tbcy  not  bence^  even  of  your  lusts^ 
tbatiMar  in  your  members? — These  things  are  not  the  fruits 
of  the  Spirit^^  but  of  x\\^fe'sb:  Th^y  are  not  of  God,  but  of 
man.  The  Spirit  of  peace  is  not  the  author  of  confusion  and 
discord  ;  but  the  restless,  the  pertinacious  boldness  of  the 
carnal  mind.  The  want  of  the  Spirit  of  love,  therefore,  in  par- 
ticular persons  can  be  no  argument  against  his  own  personal 
existence  ;  but  only  against  his  positive  operatioii  in  some 
human  hearts.  Wherever  he  comes  and  dwells,  he  never 
fails  to  bring  peace,  and  to  preserve  it.  He  vuikctb  m-.'n  19  he 
of  one  mind  in  an  bonse^  in  tlie  temple,  in  a  kingdom  :  And 
\vhenever  they  are  otber^^ise  minded,  we  mav  be  sure,  that  the 
Spirit  of  peace  is  by  no  means  the  occasion  of  it,  but  rather 
that  the  peace  of  God  doth  not  Rur.E  in  tbeir  hearts.  Though 
the  truths  of  the  gospel  are  to  be  maintained  inviolate  from 
error  ;  yet  this  is  not  to  be  done  merely  by  n.ultipKing  par- 
ties, which  have  too  often  much  more  of  the  Iicat  of  the  llc^h 
in  them,  thjn  the  wisdom  of  the  Spirit  ;  but  lather  in  m:ct<- 
v.ess  instructing  those  that  oppose  thcmsdves^  ai.d  pcrlups  a- 
gainst  their  own  happiness  and  salvation.  Luther^  magna:. i- 
mous  and  zealous  as  he  was  in  contending  for  tiiegranU  pecu- 
liarities of  the  gospel,  would  have  yielded  far  more  to  the  idle 
and  nugatoi'y  ceremonies  of  tlie  Romish  church,  liien  any  mo- 
dern protestant  can  or  possibly  ought  to  do,  for  the  sake  of 
peace.  He  was  ratiier  driven  \.\,^\\  inclined  of  hiiuseh"  lo  ll>aL 
degree  of  reformation,  which  ho  afterv/ards  citabiisljcil.  Hut 
for  protestants  10  bite  and  devour^  who  are  agreed  in  fundi- 
nicntals,  merely  because  of  some  external  and  non-essealial 
circumstances,  is  matter  of  triumph  at  Ro,r,e^  ar.d,  it  m.-.y  be, 
in  Babylon  below.  One  thing,  however,  appears  very  certain, 
amidst  this  world  of  brawling  and  contention  about  outwa.'d 
rituals,  that  it  is  not  :nan  which  can  render  truth  prcvalcr.: 
andcfieaual  to  the  soul,  but  God  alone.  Hs  wi!l  ma:..:ai;\ 
his  own   caube,  mii'vh  better  without   than  willi  the  hel^  o.* 


3o8  L         O         V        E. 

mcui's  evil  ic'iipcrs  and  p.i::3ion!5,  which    arc    too    often,  likcf 

his  tongae,  (to  use  tlvj  iii:.^stolic  lanc;i:a,i;.:')  set  en  fire  of  bell. 

'*'  Wiiy  all  this  (it  may  be  siiid)  is  setLia^j;  up  the  act  of  u- 
niformity.  and  encroaching  upon  liberty  of  conscience  and  the 
natural  rigiits  of  mankind." — There  is  no  plea  in  all  this  for 
human  authority,  nor  yet  for  opposition  to  it.  The  whole  of 
this  matter  stands  upon  much  higher  ground.  God's  book  is 
the  Chrisiian's  a<5lof  uniformity  :  And  ever)'  one,  wiio  is  tru- 
ly a  Giiristian,  is  a  conFornnst  in  grace,  wlutjver  he  maybe 
in  respects  which  are  not  gracious.  Such  a  man  mjist  own, 
that  God  hath  hut  one  people,  one  flock,  one  family,  among 
men  ;  and  that  these  have  but  one  Lord,  one  faith,  and  one 
hope  of  their  calling.  Here  is  a  uniformity,  in  which  all  real 
Ghristians  are  united:  And,  if  they  are  united  here,  in  the 
name  of  religion  and  common  sense,  Vvdiat  is  the  profit  or  use 
of  all  other  unions  or  disunions? 

**  But  this  is  latudi'.iarianism  V- — I^ar  from  it,  in  the  evil 
sense  of  tlrat  long  name.  It  is  no  broader  than  that  wa)'  of 
truth,  the  gate  of  vv'hich  is  so  strait  to  hun^an  corruption,  that 
no  evil  man  desires  to  enter-wlthin  it.  There  is  sucli  a  thing 
as  the  grace  of  charity  to  bear  and  forbear,  as  well  as  the 
grace  of  faith  to  understand  and  believe.  And  if  there  be  wo 
schism  in  the  natural  body,  and  can  be  now^  Vv'ithout  dislip-u- 
ri ng  it  ;  v^liat  i:ian  living  can  point  out  the  use  or  beauty  of 
schism  in  tiKit  spiritualiravne,  which  is  called  Christ's  body  ? 
Rom.  xii.   5.    1  Cur.   Jiii.    27. 

O  for  more  freit  of  this  Spirit  of  Love  among  Cirristians  1 
There  would  not  be  so  much  classing  into  denominations,  nor 
clashing  of  parties  ;  bat  n\ore  pure  and  fervent  aiTe6lion  for 
AT.L,  of  all  parties  and  denomiation'^,  ix^bo  love  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  in  sincerity.^'     The  measure  of  love  to  Christ  vv'ould 

*  Hov/ truly  amiable  is  the  spirit  of  the  famous  Ambrose^  bishop 
of  MiUm  I  and  yet  no  one,  v/ho  remembers  his  faithfulness  to  the 
emperor  Th?odot:u?^  can  suspect  hirn  for  a  trimmer,  ^iiando  hie 
^z/w>[Mediol.]  nonjejuno  sabbMho^  quand)  Roma  sumjcjunosabhatho;  ct 
ad  qliamcunque  ecclcsicim  i;eneritis^  ejus  rnorein  servate,  si pati  nun  vuitis 
scandah'.'.n  aiit  facere.  *'^NYhen  I  am  r.t  IvUlan  I  do  not  fast  on  the 
SabbtVth,  but  I  do  the  contra.ry  when  1  am  at  Rome  :  And  so  what- 
ever tihurcli  you  come  to,  follow  its  mode,  if  you  would  wish  nei- 
ther to  suffer  distraction  and  offence,  nor  to  give  any."  To  the  same 
effect  of  the  celebrated  Aug  u:;  tine,  his  friend,  justly  says;  Sit  una 
Jidi.s  unhersx  ecclesiii:,  etiam  si  ipsafdci  unites  quibusdam  divcrsis  ob- 
servalionibus  ce!evrc:t::ry  qidbiis  nidlo  modo  quod  in  fide  vcriim  est,  iraje- 
diiur.  Omn/is  enim  iruichritudo  IWUc  regis  intrinsecus  :  ill-i:  ati- 
tein  o^'iervationes  qux  vurie  celebrant ur,  in  ejus  "jjste  inteJli'^vntv.r,  Vn- 
de  ibidiciiuv  ;  Iniimbriis  aureis'circurnanneta  varietate.  Sedea  qw^ 
qx'.f  Oi'sti^  ita  divtrsis  celebrativnilms  varietur,  ttt  uon  luhersis  contcn- 
ilo,iljiisil!9sl':itur,  Kr>.   3o. 


LOVE.  JO, 

appear  in  the  measure  of  love  to  liis  luembcrs.  Itwoulii  b* 
no  longer  the  maintenance  of  //>//  opinion  ;Anil  tlic  &/Z/cr  in. 
terest  in  the  world,  which  would  engross  the  chief  attention 
of  professors  ;  but  a  zealous  regard  for  the  reality  of  Godli- 
ness, and  a  general  detestation  of  all  hypocrisy  and  sin.  The 
kingdom  of  God  would  then  be  sought,  where  alone  it  should 
be  sought,  not  in  nuord^  but  in  pcjccr  :  And  wherever  it  wa  • 
found  living  and  reigning,  tliere  would  be  joy  in  earth  as  well 
as  in  heaven  over  it,  even  that  communion  of  snints^  which 
(alas  !)  in  these  last  days,  is  but  too  seldom  found  out  of  the 
creed. 

It  is  easy  to  believe  that  sentiments  of  this  kind  will  not 
be  too  acceptable  to  bigots  of  any  party.  Such  refletlioni 
are  not  calculated  to  soothe,  but  to  oppose,  that  sensuality 
of  opinions,  which  begin  in  the  flesh,  and  naturally  enough 
end  there.  But  if  they  are  agreeable  to  the  mind  of  the  Spi- 
rit of  love^  and  raise  the  least  Catholicism,  or  general  aficc- 
tion,  in  the  heart  of  the  Christian  reader  to  his  brethren  of 
an)  or  of  all  denominations  ;  tlie  censure  of  a  carnal  mind, 
or  the  support  of  a  carnal  interest,  where  so  much  glory  to 
God  is  concerned,  cannot  deserve  a  moment's  consideration. 

This  branch  of  wisdom,  as  well  as  all  others,  will  be  justi- 
fied of  wisdom's  children.  To  thee,  O  believer,  who  walkest 
in  the  light  and  in  the  love  of  the  Spirit  of  grace,  this  expe- 
rimental truth,  were  it  even  more  forcibly  iiisisted  on,  would 
need  no  apology.  There  is  something  within  thee,  which  hath 
fellowship  with  this  matter.  It  bears  its  own  recommenda- 
tion to  thy  conscience.  If  it  did  not,  or  if  it  should  appear 
contrary  to  the  written  word,  let  it  pass  with  the  farrago  of 
human  opinions,  and  die  with  the  numerous  se6ls,  whose  very 
names  have  almost  perished  with  them.  But  can  it  not  be 
appealed  to  thine  inmost  soul  ;  how  ofien  thou  hast  contem- 
plated with  delight  that  happy  time,  or  rather  eternity,  when 
thou  shalt  hold  full  communion  with  tbc  spirits  of  just  men 
made  perfect^  above  all  the  unimportant  divisions,  which  er- 
ror and  corruption  have  invented  below!  How  happy  hast 
thou  been  in  the  prospe6l  of  that  tender,  intimate,  and  sym- 
pathetic love,  which  shall  flow  from  soul  to  soul,  without  in- 
terruption and  without  end,  in  the  regions  of  immortality! 
How  hath  thy  soul  been  almost  transported  with  the  promise 
in  view,  that  thou  and  all  the  faithful  shall  be  or.c^  even  as  the 
Father  is  in  Christ,  and  Christ  in  the  Father,  and,  by  the  pow- 
er  of  the  holy  Ghost,  made,  in  respe^  to  communion,  <?n<-  //>/*- 
rit  with  the  Lord!  John  xvii.  ai.  i  Cor.  vi.  17.  O  what  en- 
largement of  heart  have  these  views  afl^orded  thee! — An  en- 
largement capable  of  receiving  ^///^^mZ^c  Lord  thy  God  should 
call  I     It  hath  been   the  wish  of  thy  soul,  at  such  times  i.i 

Vol.  II.  Q.  q 


310  L        O        V        E. 

partituh'.r,  that  more  unity,  love  and  tenderness  were  exhi- 
bited anioii^  true  otlievers,  and  that  the  houshold  oF  fakh  b^- 
lovv  n.ii^ht  more  exa6lly  r^iserable  the  houshold  of  giory  a- 
bovel — That  professor  hath  tasted  but  little  of  the  love  of 
Christ,  who  ^ath  not  felt  so^n-ithlng  at  least  of  this  love  in 
the  Spirit  (as  the  apostle  terms  it)  towards  the  brethren  of 
(^dirist.  He  that  d^welleth  in  love  (says  anotlier  apostle,) 
dv:eUetb  in  God^  and  God  in  ijini.  The  holy  Spirit,  dwelling 
in  the  heart  of  the  believer,  proves  his  own  divinity  and  the 
believer's  adoption  at  once,  by  teaching  hirn  to  love  those 
that  belong  to  God,  and  enabling  him  in  this  gracious  habit 
to  make  his  G'xvn  calling  and  election  sure,    i    Thess.  iv.  9. 

This  love  of  God,  shed  abroad  in  the  heart,  implies  and  in- 
cludes Q^i^vy  other  Christian  grace  and  afFe^lion.  'Tis  a  ge- 
neral name  for  God,  and  the  good  which  proceeds  from  him. 
If  the  love  of  God  be  in  the  heart,  holiness  and  duty  will  ap- 
pear in  the  life.  And,  if  one  might  use  the  expression,  'tis  a 
Spirit,  whose  very  body  is  good  works.  For  as  the  spirit  of 
a  man  is  known  througfi  the  body  of  a  man  ;  so  is  this  Spirit 
of  love  discerned  by  the  works  and  labor  of  love  which  iu 
uses.  Thus,  the  body  of  sin  is  destroyed  (Joy  sin  hath  its  body 
of  evil  works,)  that  benccfcrtb  the  Christian  should  not  serve 
sin.     Rom.  vi.  6. 

This  love  also  implies  knowledge  ;  because  it  is  impossible 
to  love  what  is  unknown.  A  man,  that  doth  not  know  God, 
or  is  unknown  of  Him,  cannot  love  God.  Knowledge  and  af- 
feclion,  in  this  case,  mutually  strengthen  each  other.  And 
this  knovf ledge  (as  was  said  before)  is  not  a  m.atter  of  mere 
speculation,  but  of  taste  and  enjoyment.  So  the  apostle  states 
it  ;  I  John  i.  i,  2,  he. — These  considerations  expose  the  na- 
kedness of  all  that  empty  profession,  which  treats  the  gospel 
as  though  it  were  a  matter  of  vision  or  theory,  but  substan- 
tiates nothing,  and  produces  nothing  from  it.  The  remark 
was  just,  that  "  bold  and  lifeles  (though  never  so  fine  and 
well-contrived)  must  those  discourses  be,  that  are  of  an  un- 
known Christ.^'  A  speculation  upon  the  soil  of  the  moon, 
cannot  be  more  barren  than  such  disquisitions  as  these. 

'Tio  a  les^i  painful  reflc6lion,  that,  at  this  present  time  also,, 
there  is  a  remnant  according  to  the  election  of  grace.  Rom  xi. 
5.  Blessed  be  God,  though  too,  too  many  disgrace  their  holy 
profecsion,  and  give  sad  occasions  for  others  to  blaspheme  the 
holy  name  by  ^eohich  they  are  called ;  yet  even  now,  in  these 
last  dregs  of  time,  God  hath  .'z  chosen  generation  and  a  pecu- 
liar people.,  whose  aim  and  desire  it  is  to  shew  forth  the  praise- 
ts  ofhiniy  ^oiho  hath  called  them  out  of  darkness  into  his  mar- 
vellous light.  I  Pet.  ii.  9.  O  that  their  numbers  did  more 
abound,  and  their  wrirk  of  faitii  were  more   illustrious,  that 


L        O         V        K.  ,,3 

an  ungodly   world  might  he  more  ^j/v?;;/(\-/ thnn  ii  U  when  it 
attcmptsy^j/jc/v  to  accuse  their  good  conversation  in  Cbrist, 

Happy  believer^  who  walkest,  and  wliose  d^clight  it  is  to 
walk,  according  to  this  rule.  Peace  be  on  thee  and  mercy  ! 
The  love  0/  the  Fataer,  Son,  and  Spirit,  which  is  stronger 
than  death — stronger  even  than  thy  deaili  of  trespasses  and 
sins — yea,  stronger  ilian  the  de:»iii  of  Christ,  for  it  spared 
not  him  for  thy  sake — (his  unvieasuralle  love  is  upon  ihcc 
and  in  tliee.  'V\\y  l.ord.  Loth  loved  thee  with  an  evcr'astlr.g 
lovc^  before  time  began  to  flow,  or  sun  and  stars  and  enrili 
received  their  forms  ^  and  therefore  'vjitb  loving  kindness  hath 
be  drawn  thee  :  He  will  love  thee  v/ith  the  same  everlastinv; 
love,  subsisting  v.-ithout  decline,  when  the  lieavens,  llie  earth, 
and  the  elements  shall  melt  av/av  ;  and  therefore  ihou  art 
safe  under  his  'vjings^  and  shalt  never  be  confounded  j^or  dis- 
mayed  v^ovid  ".vithout  end.  O  liappv,  for  ever  liappv  soul,  ho v/ 
art  thou  privileged  to  rejcncc,  by  this  Spirit  of  lo'-ce.  in  tiie 
view  and  foretaste  of  that  unabaling  ardor,  with  v.'hich  ihy 
God  calls  tliee,  and  claims  thee  for  his  own  I  A  ivoman  may 
forget  her  sucking  child^  and  may  have  no  comji/ission  en  the 
son  of  her  'voomb  ;  there  hath  been  such  a  monster  ;  hut  thy 
God  hath  declared,  that  He  'ivill  not  forget  tbee^for  thou  art 
gr::vcn  (as  it  were)  upon  the  palms  of  his  hands.  Is.  xlix.  15, 
&c.  His  eyes  are  ever  upon  thee  to  do  tliee  good,  in  tlic  Lost 
way,  in  the  best  time,  and  for  the  best  cn».L  Why  then 
shouldest  not  thou  rejoice,  as  indeed  ihou  are  highly  privi- 
leged, in  thy  loving,  and  faithful  L<M-d  ?  He  iiatli  done  and 
w^ill  do,  both  for  thee  and  in  thee,  all  that  is  requisite  for  !iis 
own  glory  and  thy  welfare.  R.emembcr,  Jehovah  is  the  rock, 
mid  his  ^Jork  is  perfect.  If  thou  hadst  more  faith  in  liim  ;  it 
would  certninly  shew  itself  more  proportionali}'  in  this  way 
of  love.  The  love  of  the  Spirit,  shed  abroad  in  tiiy  heart, 
would  cause  thee  to  abound  in  love  towards  thy  (^od:  And 
this  love  would  afford  thee  an  increasing  measure  of  humble 
and  holy  confidence.  This  confidence,  again,  would  excite 
thee  to  abound  in  every  good  word  and  work,  knov^^ing  that 
thou  art  not  a(51i ng  as  uncertainly^  or  as  one  that  beateth  the 
air^  but  that  thy  labor  is  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord.  All  these 
gracious  e.Tec\s,  wrouglu  in  thy  hrart  by  this  Spirit  of  love, 
would  heighten  thy  stature  and  stability  as  a  Christian  ;  and 
by  his  continual  supplv,  thou  wouldest  increase  (as  the  apos- 
tie  speaks)  with  the  increase  of  God.  Instead  cf  a  j)oor,  doubt- 
ing, tremblins;  life;  thou  wouklcst  attain  a  hope,  which 
would  not  suiicr  thee  to  be  aphamcd  ;  a  faith,  wlwch  wouU 
make  thee  to  know  whojn  and  what  thou  hast  beUev-ed  ;  and  a 
iov  which  the  world  could  neitlicr  give  nor  take  away  from 
ihV  heart.  Thou  wouldest  enjoy  this  dignified  religion,  ena- 
bling thee  to  live  Riperior  to  tlie  creeping  incann-ss  c!  ihc 


311  UNDERSTANDING. 

world,  end  ennobling  thee  with  the  rank  of  a  citizen  of  hea- 
ven while  thou  sojournest  upon  earth.     The  sense  of  posses^ 
sing  this  privilege,  in  thy  enlightened  mind,  would  induce  en- 
largement of   heart   above  every  thing  that  men  call  by  that 
name,  a  true  liberality  of  sentiment,  and  a  generous  freedom 
of  soul,  which  doth  not  consist  in  revolting  against  human 
laws,  but  in  so  living  above  them  as  to  make  them  unnecessa- 
ry."^    This,  O  Christian,  is  thy  wisdom  ;  this,  thy  divine  ex- 
altation ;  an  exaltation,  as  much  above   all  the   littleness  of 
human   pride,  as   heaven  is    above  the    earth,     O  that    thou 
hadst  more  of  this  spiritual  glory  shed  down  upon  thy  soul  — 
even   this    illustrious    majesty  of  a  child    of  God  1     Thou 
wouldest   more  dearly   prize  the  honors  of  grace  and  glory, 
and  shew  thyself  sensible  of  thy  rank,  by  living  in  that  spi- 
ritual dignity  of  mind  which  is  agreeable  to  it.  Earthly  peers 
we  know,  should  count  it  their  honor  to   live   above   base 
things,  and  the  princes  of  this  world  are  anxious  to  preserve 
the  splendor  of  their  crowns  ;  though  all  these  are  in   them- 
selves, to  the  mere  philosophic  eye,  but  poor   and  dying  dis- 
tin6lions  :   And  shalt  not  t/jou,  who  art  a  compeer  with  the 
angels  in  heaven,  who  art  a  king,  and  a  priest  to  God,  and  an 
heir  of  God  through  Jesus  Christ  ;   shalt   not  thou,  above  all 
others,  be  solicitous  to  walk  worthy  of  thy  high  vocation  ? — • 
O  look  up  to  this  Spirit  of  love  and  glory,  that   indeed   thou 
mayest  live  and  a6l  in  this  superior  strain  !f  Depend  upon  his 
wisdom  and  power,  and,  possessing  these  thou  certainly  W/^. 
And  when  thy  pilgrimage  in  this  vale  of  tears  is  ended,  when 
thou  "  passest  out  of  the  vale  of  the  dying  into  the    vale  of 
the  dead,"  O  with  what   ecstacy  of  joy    wilt  thou   rise  up  to 
those  blisful  regions,  where  tby  sun  shall  no  more  go  doivn,  but 
the  Lord  shall  be  thine  everlasting  Ught^  and  the  days  of  thy. 
mourning  shall  be  ended  I 


UNDERSTANDING- 

OUR  translators  have  usually  rendered  the  original  word 
for  this  name,  BiNAH,  by  the  word  understanding  ;  but 
neither  this,  nor  the  latin  i ntelHgenti a ^v^hxch.  signifies,  tJitus  le- 
gere^to  read  what  is  within,  nor  the  greek  avnaisoi^  (f>fov»j(7/y, which 

*   Sapientia  sola  libertas  est.  Sen.  Ep.  37. 
t  Ma^ni  animi  est^  magna  contemnere,  StN.  Ep.  39. 


UNDERSTANDING.  31^ 

import  little  more  than  wliat  we  mean  h\ priu/c tire ^coT\i:i\\y  the 
full  sense  of  the  term.  Tlie  word  13  derivfcl  fioiu  a  root  wliich 
signifies  to  buildup,  as  archite6>s  do,  the  several  niembers  of  a 
£tru6lure.  For,  as  the  intellc(?l  frames  the  idea,  ai.d  arrunj'.cs 
the  distribution  of  the  several  materials  for  the  fabric  ;  so  tV.c 
body  subserves  tha*:  idtu,  and  carries  into  sensible  cr.ccl,\vhat 
the  intellect  has  already  conceived.  The  sense  of  the  term 
may  be  referred  to  those  powers  of  the  n.ind,  by  which  we 
distribute  a  subje6l  into  its  sevcnil  parts  for  a  close  investi- 
gation and  then  collect  or  611/ Id  up  ihosii  parts,  when  separa- 
ted, for  one  grand  [-reposition  or  |)rinciple.  Hence,  the  word 
n^33n,  which  is  sometimes  rendered  a  structure,  is  often  at 
justly  rendered  ;;70<^(?/y  pattern',  exemplar,  tspe,  or  similitude^ 
because  every  material  edifice  or  frame  is  truly  the  copv  of 
that  pattern,  which  before  existed  in  the  mind  :  And,  when 
it  is  spoken  with  relation  to  God,  it  n:eans  the  relation  of  a 
type  or  pattern  from  his  understanding*  Thus,  the  whole 
world  was  compiled  according  to  the  all-wise  and  all-perfecl 
ideas  of  'Jehovah  ;  and  thus  Moses  was  di reeled  to  frame  all 
the  circumstances  of  the  tabernacle  according  to  those  spi-  it- 
ual  forms  which  had  been  revealed  to  him  in  the  mount. 
Exod.  XXV.  40.  Look  (said  God  to  Moses")  that  thou  nuike 
(form)  all  things  after  their  Pattern,  which  %vas  shelved  thee 
(which  thou  wast  enabled  to  see)  in  the  inount.  'I'his  miy 
serve  to  shew  the  radical  meaning  of  the  word.  We  will 
now  attempt  to  consider  that  the  term  Binah  is  sometimes, 
used  essentir.Hv  for  the  Most  High,  and  that  then  it  is  parti- 
cularly employed  as  an  office-name  of  Jf.hovah  'vnv.  Spirit. 
The  Old  Testament  makes  great  use  of  this  v/ord,  and  com- 
monly in  conjunction  with  the  word  ivisdom,  which  lii^;)lies  a 
certain  knowledge  u\  the  mind  of  a  matter  ;  like  that  sure  per- 
ception which  we  gain  of  sensible  obje(^ls  by  the  sersc  of  tast- 
in^*^.  God  employs  these  and  other  term?;,  whi(  h  have  re- 
lation to  our  animal' and  natural  faculties,  i;i  order  to  convey 
by  them  some  necessary  information  of  his  own  being,  and 
of  our  relation  to  him.  Did  he  talk  with  us  upon  these  sub- 
je6ls,  according  to  the  mode  of  their  existence,  we  should  not 
be  able,  with  our  present  capacities,  to  understand  him  ;  be- 
cause  we  are  so  far  from  having  any  ideas  of  spirit::.?/  modi- 
fication, that  we  have  no  precise  notion  of  the  mode  in  winch 
any  sensible  objea  exists  in  the  world.  He  speaks,  liicrc- 
fore,  ad  captum  bumanum,-\  according  to  our  size  and  way  of 

♦  The  Latin  word  sa'.erc*o  taste,  fr'om  whence  JJ/);Vnr/<i  wisdom, 
comes  nearly  to  the  idea  of  the  Hebrew  word. 

f  It  should  ever  be  remembered,  thai  it  is  not  from  any  ol^sru- 
rity  in  God  or  the  things  of  God,  that  we  cannot  comi)rehuul  them, 
bpt  from  the  weakness  of  our  facultiL-s.     The  natural  sun,  when  it 


3t4  UNDERSTANDING. 

perception  ;  that  we  may  not  be  destitute  of  any  saving  truth, 
but  be  thoroughly  furnished  {jSiS  the  apostle  speaks)  for  every 
rrood  word  and  'ivork.  In  the  former  Volume  it  was  pointed 
out,  that  Christ,  as  God,  claimed  the  name  of  wisdom.  Had 
he  been  less  than  God,  wisdom  could  not  have  been  his  title, 
as  to  his  essence^  or  nature  ;  in  which  form  it  is  ascribed  to 
him  ;  whatever  he  might  have  enjoyed  of  the  communications 
of  wisdom,  as  a  creature:  Between  which  two  forms  of  pos- 
session, there  is  ikx\  infinite  and  eternal  difference.  Wisdom 
essential  is  Godliimself;  and  all  the  persons  of  the  Godhead 
are  tlierefore  wisdom,  because  they  are  of  and  in  the  essence  : 
And  yet  one  of  those  divine  persons  is  (Economically  called 
by  this  name,  and  called  so  in  distinction  often  ;  because 
it  was  his  office,  as  the  word  of  God,  to  declare  and 
proclaim  the  wisdom  of  God.  God  is  v  ]sdorn  ;  but  Christ 
is  the  exhibition  of  that  wisdom  to  us;  And,  therefore, 
as  he  is  essentially  such  and  also  the  means  or  channel  of 
our  intercourse  with  it,  he  is  of  God  unto  us  wisdom  itself. 
The  same  may  be  said  of  the  word  Binak  before  ug,  God 
liimself  declares  I  am  understanding.  Prov.  viii.  14.  And 
Christ,  who  is  the  wisdom  of  God  ad  e::trc^  or  to  us,  joins  in 
that  declaration.  But,  if  the  Lord  had  not  so  positively 
claimed  tb.is  title  ;  what  creature,  or  creatures,  could  have 
said,  *•*  I  am  wisdom  :  I  am  understanding  itself  :  I  owe  no- 
thing of  either  to  another  ?  With  respe6l  to  tl-e  essence  ;  God 
the  Father  is  wisdom  and  understanding  :  So  is  God  the  Son, 
and  God  the  Holy  Ghost.  In  the  unity  of  the  essence,  they 
are  so;  and  in  the  trinity  of  person,  they  cannot  be  less  ; 
for  diminutions  or  differences  in  deity  cannot  be  supposed 
without  polytheism  or  nonsense.  But,  as  the  manifestation 
or  communication  of  this  wisdom  was  the  personal  engage- 
ment of  Christ  in  the  covenant  of  grace,  as  it  hath  been  shew- 
ed ;  he,  therefore,  is  called  wisdom  :  So  the  manifestation  and 
communication  of  this  understandings  being  the  office  of  the 
holy  Spirit  (as  v/e  shall  aim  to  clear  ;)  he  is  specially  expres- 
sed by  tlie  name  Binah^  or  understanding:  Name  and  essentia- 
lity being  but  one  v/ith  God.  And,  furtlier,  as  the  communi- 
cation of  tliis  wisdom  and  this  understanding  are  o])erations 
oi  one  and  the  same  Jehovah,  though  referred  to  distinct  per- 
sons in  liim  ;  it  proves,  by  the  way,  the  unity  and  co-essenti- 
alitv  of  tliose  persons  in  the  one  Jehovah. 

If  God  be  understanding  in  essence  ;  surely,  the  Spirit, 
who  scarchelhi  his  profouwd^  can  be  no  other. ^  He  is  there- 
shines  biightest,  becomes  less  an  ol)je6l  of  vision  than  at  other 
times.  The  mysteries  of  God  proclaim  the  ignorance  of  man  ;  for 
there  can  be  no  such  thing  as  mystery  to  a  pcrfeft  intelle6lion. 

*  What  a  (onti-adiaion  doth  this  tcxt(l  Cor.  ii.  10.)  ufibrd  to 
the  strange  assertion  of  Pkftinus^  that  the  first  principle,  or  God, 


UNDERSTANDING.  ^^^ 

fore,  called  ihe  Spirit  of  tinder  standi  n^q,  8cc.  who  w.is  to  rcit 
upon  Christ.  Is.  xi.  ^,  aiul,  ut  the  cuinc  time,  the  Shi,  it  V^. 
boviib  ;  by  which  latter  name  we  see  his  ri^ot  to  tiic  •"  ir- 
mer.  IF  he  vvete  not  the  unJerstanaing  of  Jtbovab  himself 
he  could  nv.t  spiritually  teacb  all  tbin((s  ;  at  all  times,  at  one 
and  the  sanit'  time  ;  to  myriads  of  diil'ercnt  helngs,  in  differ- 
ent states,  situations  of  place,  capacity,  and  existence.  Nor 
yet  could  he  sbei\j  his  people  things  to  come,  nor  ^Jorify 
Cbvist,  nor  take  oj  tbe  ibings  of  Cbnst  and  tbe  /'.;//ar\johii 
xvi.  14,  15.)  unless  he  were  one  witb  (Christ  and  the  i'uther. 
To  say,  that  thj  Spirit  could  take  of  an  infinite  understand- 
ing,  and  exercise  it  infinitely,  without  participating  or  having 
in  himself  that  infinite  undcrstandini;;  would  be  as  great  an 
absurdity  as  to  affirm,  that  a  part  contains  the  whole,  that 
time  can  measure  eternity,  or  that  creatures  create  tliem- 
selves.  The  Scriptures  speak  very  diircrently,  and  declare, 
that,  however  it  might  be  supposed  that  the  jnn/timde  of  years 
sboidd  teacb  men  luisdoni,  it  surely  is  n^'^-7^^•^  thk  spiRir  him- 
self *  in  man,  anc/ryi^w^  tbe  inspiration  of  tbe  Almigiitv, 
^wbo  givetb  tbem  understanding,  or  causetb  tbcm  to  under- 
stand. Job.  xxxii.  8.  Agreeable  to  this,  the  apostle  asks, 
JVbo  hatb  kno'cvn  tbe  mind  of  tbe  Lord  P  or  vjbo  katb  are^i  bis 
counsellor?  intimating  plainly,  that  none  i)ut  /iiins.-ir,  for, 
as  the  prophet  speaks,  tbere  is  no  searcbing  of  bis  under- 
standing  ;  and  the  psalmist  gives  tlie  reason,  i)ecause  bis  un- 
derstanding is  infinite.  But,  as  the  Sjiirit  searcbctb  all  tbis  ; 
it  follows,  that  he  must  have  an  infinite  understanding,  or 
rather  must  be  tbe  infinite  understanding  bimself :  And,  if 
He  be  this  infinite  understanding,  it  will  necessarily  con- 
clude, that  He  is  truly  and  essentially  God.  There  is  no  a- 
voiding  this  conclusion  but  by  denying  hijn  tlu  attribute  of 
understanding  ;  in  which  case,  it  would  be  impossible  that 
he  should  teacb  any  tbing.  And  how  this  can  be  reconciled 
to  the  express  words  of  Scripture,  the  opposcrs  of  the  Spi- 
rit's divinity  are  bound  to  explain. 

Thus  it  appears,  that  understanding,  in  its  essence,  is  ne- 
cessarily God  himselFj    And  that  tha  Holy   Si'irit  is  this 

cannot  properly  kno-.u  itself?  Sec  more  of  this  in  Ci'dwoktii's  Int» 
system*  B.  i.  c.  4. 

*  Dr.  Grey,  in  his  edition  of  Schidtais's  Job,  justly  snys,  upon 
this  passage  ;  Non  inttlligo  adstatummotumquc  prophcticum,  scd 
ordinarium  elfeauni  Spiritus  illuminantis,  sine  rujus  inf  uxu  ncj-at 
Elilui  dc  rebus  divinis  vcl  sentiri,  vel  disputari  rear,  posse  And 
then  just  afterwards  ;  Insinuatur  lumen  vcritalif,  quo  Dkus  mcntc 
collustrat,  non  esse  annis  aliigatum  ;  and  sa:j)e,  sic  volcntc  Deo,  jn- 
venem  de  rebus  divinis  pcritius  and  solidius  clioscrlare,  quar.i  5^a.^- 
djtvos. 


316  UNDERSTANDING. 

essential  understandings  because  He  is  a  person  in  the  God- 
head. From  him,  in  the  unity  of  the  divine  persons,  proceeds  e- 
very  measure  of  communicate  understanding  to  the  creatures, 
who  never  could  know  any  thing  by  themselves,  nor  beyond 
the  limits  assigned  them.  God  is  the  intelle6\,  striclly  speak- 
ing; and,  from  him,  through  the  agency  of  the  Spirit,  is  sup- 
plied all  the  intellection  of  other  beings,  whether  in  earth  or 
heaven.  He  is,  at  one  and  the  same  time,  the  first  cause  and  the 
first  iRtellecl :  And,  therefore,  the  schoolmen  and  others*  did 
not  say  amiss,  when  they  asserted,  that  in  Deo  idem  est  in- 
telligere  ^  esse^  '*"  in  God  to  understand  and  to  be^  is  the 
same  ;"  or,  Ipse  est  scientia  sua^  et  scientia  sua  est  ipse^  "  him- 
self is  his  knowledge,  and  his  knowledge  is  himself."  He 
knows  all  things,  not  because  tbey  exists  as  we  know  them ; 
but  tbey  exist  because  of  bis  kno'jj'ledge^  in  a  manner  ^e  cannot 
kno'jj  tbem.  He  foreknew  them,  vv^hen  they  had  not  a  sensi- 
ble existence,  or  such  a  being  as  is  the  obje^l  of  created  per- 
ception ;  and  he  brought  them  into  this  mode  of  existence 
according  to  his  will.  Kno~Mn  unto  God  are  all  bis  nuorks 

from  the  beginning  of  tbe  nuorld:  And  so  his  people  are 
known  of  him,  before  they  could  be  positively  known  of  each 
other,  or  recognize  themselves.  He  sees  tbrougb  eternityf 
at  one  view,  (to  speak  in  the  language  of  men,)  because  He 
alone  is  infinite  and  eternal  ;  while  all  the  creatures,  having 
a  finite  capacity,  can  only  see  to  its  particular  extent,  be- 
yond which,  let  it  be  more  or  less,  an  infinitude  will  ever  re- 
main to  be  explored  and  understood. 

These  ideas,  concerning  the  Spirit  of  God,  are  not  new, 
but  as  old,  at  least,  as  the  Scriptures.  Novatian  said  truly, 
Spiritus  sanctus  7ton  est  in  evangelio  novus  ,  sed  nee  nove 
datus ;%   "  the  holy  Spirit  is  not  a  being  never  revealed  till 

*  Thom.  Aquin.  1.  qusest.  xvi.  art.  5.  MoRNiEus  de  ver,  Rel, 
Christ,  c.  13.  Maimon.  Port,  Mos,  p.  256.  Zanch.  de  attrib, 
DeiA.nu  9.10,     Gomar.  f/(?  v;\y.  Dei.  p.  251. 

t  It  was  the  remark  of  a  Jesuit  and  no  great  friend  to  divine 
revelation,  that  a  sort  of  people,  who  follow  the  principles  of  Aris- 
totle, '"  pretend  that  God  knows  no  events  but  after  they  are  come 
to  pass,  that  what  is  usually  called  the  future  contingent,  cannot 
be  known  to  God.  and  that  what  doth  not  already  exist,  cannot  be 
knovvn  at  all.  The  Sociniiins,  (and  he  might  have  added  some  o- 
ther  names)  who  make  profession  of  this  refined  philosophy,  and 
according  to  which  they  regulate  all  religion,  are  but  the  disciples 
of  the  Mahometan  doc\ors  ' — who  attribute  all  to  sense,  and  who 
believe  that  even  God  himself  hath  that  kind  of  substance,  which 
we  term  body.  See  F.  Simon's  remarks  upon  Dandini's  Yoyagc 
to  mount  Libanus,  c.  8. 
i  NovAT.  edit.  JVelchm,  p.  110. 


UNDERSTAND!  N  G.  3x7 

the  times  of  tiic  gospel^  nor  yet  from  iIku  period  newly  giv- 
en  :"  He  is  one  and  the  same,  in  his  influ'jnces  upon  patri- 
archs, propiiets,  and  apostles,  and  ever  suited  his  agency,  ac- 
cording to  tlie  times  and  occasions,  appointed  in  the  counsch 
of  the  Highest.  Accordingly  (as  it  hath  been  sliewn,  from 
many  authorities,  in  the  introducticu  to  the  first  Volume)  the 
most  learned  and  respevL^able  Jews,  longheforc  and  for  some- 
time after  Christ(till  their  haired  of  Cihristianily  led  them 
to  oppose,  or  torture,  all  the  great  truths  in  the  iiihle)  nicd 
this  name  Binab  to  express  the  /i^/W  person  in  the  Trinity, 
in  whom  they  professed  to  believe.  The  term  Holy  F^pirii 
was,  in  their  idea,  the  name  of  a  divine  person  ;  and  they  of- 
ten  used  it  to  express  both  him  and  his  operations,  'ihcy  had 
not  then  learned,  with  Arius  a!ul  the  other  disciples  of  the 
too  ingenious  Or/gen^  to  consider  him  as  a  mere  j)rophetical 
gift, '^  an  inspiration,  an  emanation,  a  virtue,  or  some  other 
sort  of  quality,  Hovvcver  such  an  opinion  may  agree  witK 
the  dogmas  of  the  platonic  school  at  Alcxijndrin  \  it  by  no 
means  accords  with  the  revelation  of  God,  Vviio  only  (as  wrt 
])ave  in  a  former  Essay  obscrv»d)  could  impart  any  trutli 
concerning  his  own  being. 

As  the  words  mercy  and  truth  are  often  coupled  togetiicr, 
which  are  (as  hinted  in  another  placcj)  oHice-charaClers  of 
Christ  and  the  Spirit  ;  so  we  find,  and  especially  in  the  book 
of  the  proverbs^  that  the  names  v^isdoin  and  undcrsifinding 
are  frequently  conjoined,  as  being  other  ofiicc-titles  of  the 
same  divine  persons.  The  redeemed  have  communion  v.?ith 
both  of  them  under  ;ill  these  denominations.  Thus  Christ  is 
the  ivisdom  of  God,  i  Cor.  i.  24.  and  of  God  made  unto  us 
'xisdsm,  V.  3c.  And  tluis  the  Spiri:  is  to  teccb  all  things^  to 
lead  and  guide  into  ell  truth,  ]o\\\\  ^\^\.  13.  and  being  sent 
from  the  Son,  John  xv.  ^6.  is  tliat  understanding  Kvbtcb  is 
true^  and  so  said  to  be  given  by  the  Son,  i  John  v.  20.  See 
also  John  xv.  26.  The  full  assurance,  being  a  gift  of  grace, 
must  come  from  the  Spirit  of  grace  ;  and  therefore  it  is  not 
only  an  assurance  oUwpc,  but  (as  peculiarly  charaaeristic  of 
itsVivinc  agent  I  \.\\c  full  trssur.^ncc  cf  understanding.  Col. 
ii.  2.  He  is  inseparably  ronncaed  with  Christ  the  wisdom  ; 
and  therefore  the  /knowledge  of  his 'null  is,  in  ^U  "^visdom  iind 
spiritual  understanding.  Col.  i.  9.  In  other  words,  btlicvcrij 
are  led  to  know  an.l  enjov  the  communion  of  Chnst  and 
the  spirit.  It  is  th'is  Spirit's  o^we  to  :al:e  cf  the  th:rgs  oj 
Christ  and she^tbem  toh'is  pco[^\e.     John  iv:.  15.      And  when 

Vol.  n.  II  r 

*So  Aoar^ariel,   R.  Solomcn,  J.uxlu,   Jvc  iu  iifK>.  i'iic.l.Jud.  •;>, 
206,  S.:c. 

t  ?)^^  Shir  it  of  Truth. 


3i3  U  N  D  E  R  S  T  A  N  D  I  N  G. 

Christ  breathed  on  his  disciples,  and  said,  receive  ye  the 
Holy  Ghost ^  John  xx.  2Z.  Ic  was  an  outward  sign  of  that  in- 
visible grace,  Vv-hich  by  his  Spirit  he  bestowed  upon  thera,  in 
order  to  open  their  iindcr standings^  that  they  might  under- 
stand the  Scriptures.  Luke  XX iv.  45.  This  Holy  Ghost  ilhi- 
iiiinatsd  their  minds  to  apprehend  those  mysteries  of  the 
word,  concerning  which,  before  that  operation,  they  were 
fpiritualiy  blind  and  ignorant.  From  the  sense  of  this  great 
truth,,  the  Psahnistj  in  the  cxixlh  Psalm,  so  often  prays  for 
understanding'  from  Jehovah^  that  he  might  kno^ji)  spiritual 
things,  and  once  in  particular,  at  v.  144.  requests  this  pre- 
cious gift,  that  he  might  live.  This  spiritual  grace  is  indeed 
the  life  and-  a6lion  of  the  soul  ;  and  therefore  it  is  said,  in 
another  psalm,  that  a  man  however  high  in  honour  with  re- 
bpecl  to  other  things,  if  he  spiritually  do  not  understand^  is 
like  the  beasts  that  perish. 

Since  the  fall,  m»an  ii;  naturally  without  knowdedge  of  God, 
and  without  concern  for  the  salvation  of  his  soul :  And 
thouglithe  education  which  he  rnay  receive  in  a  Ciiristian 
land,  and  the  custcnr.ary  ideas  which  lie  may  imbibe  from 
others,  may  furnish  him  with  something  to  say  upon  the  to- 
pic, of  a  Deity ^  or  upon  any  other  articles  of  the  Christian 
faith  ;  yet  his  wider  standing  /jjust  ?i'ii  darkened  \v\lh  respecl 
to  any  real  apprehension  of  God,  and  his  heart  as  mucii  cdien- 
titid  from  the  l/Je  of  God ^  as  the  heart  ?.nd  understanding  of 
any  ^.'lahornetan  or  Pagan.  It  seems  to  be  a  sad  mistake 
Vv'ith  many,  arising  from  ignorance  of  the  word  and  power  of 
God,  that  the  having  some  notion  of  God  and  of  Christ,  and 
of  a  certain  theory  deduced  from  the  Scriptures,  is  quite  suf- 
ficient to  constitute  them  real  and  knowing;  Christians.  But 
if  they  happen  to  adorn  all  this  speculation  by  a  tolerably 
decent  and  virtuous  life  ;  they  are  then  (as  they  suppose)  in  a 
very  safe  state  indeed,  and  really  Hjcorking  out  their  cwn  sal- 
vation.  There  is  indeed  so  little  even  of  tliis  lev.' kind  of 
knowledge  among  the  generality  of  m^en,  that  with  relu6\ance 
one  v/ouid  drop  a  v/ord  against  it  ;  but  when  men  coliec}: 
their  princij)les  and  gather  their  notions,  not  only  <iy/V-d'c;:^ 
God,  but^/^<^Y//V.'j-/ his  revealed  will  ;  there  is  no  charity  in  pro- 
nouncing well  of  a  case,  that  (if  God  be  true)  will  ntver  stand 
the  test,  which  one  day  must  be  made  of  it.  There  cainiot 
be  too  much  goodness,  nor  even  too  much  of  the  appearance  or 
goodnecs  in  the  v^orld  :  And  the  temporal  happiness  of  soci- 
ety requires  every  encouragement  to  both.  But  we  are 
speaking,  in  this  instance,  of  man's  state  with  God,  by  whom 
ail  things  are  understood  in  a  very  diflerent  way  from  the 
modes  of  the  v/orld,  and  to  whom  m.cre  appearances  are  no- 
thing, and  indeed  worse  tha?i  notliing.  Pccalities,  or  trutli, 
cnly   can   be    acceptable  to  him,  who  i:  :in  understanding  to 


U  N  D  E  R  S  T  A  N  V)  I  NO.  .,^ 

•search  out,  and  ail  truth  itself  to  weu'Ji,  tl^.e  mhuland  actions 
of  his  creatures.  We  may  deceive  others,  and  ourselves  lao  ; 
hut  human  vanity  never  ycc  pretended  a  power  to  delude 
him.  The  question  then,  which  u'lll  arise  upon  these  consi- 
derations, is;  how  shall  a  man  knov/,  that  he  is  not  djcjived 
in  this  most  important  concern  ;  and  wliat  ceitaitity  i:\n  he 
obtain  of  re6litude  in  anv  ihJnp-? 

i  he  solution  is  easy  ;  because  God  lia(h  made  ii  so:   AfuI 
nothing  but  extreme  corruption  and  blindiiess  could  keep  men 
from  seeing  it.     Man  feels  hiniseit  a  fve/ild^  Ignoit/ni,  ■dm\f(^i- 
Ic?t  creature,  whether  he  v/ill  civn  it  or  not.     In  this  situa- 
tion, he  is  void cf  rule^  and  being  ^^itbout  strcn^tb^  could  not 
walk  by  one,  if  even  he  had  v/isdom   enough  left  to  fiiid  ont 
the  rule  or  lay  it  dov»'n.   The  autlior  of  all  v.ii^dom,  therefore, 
hath  provided    this  rule,  and.-  fitted  it  for  the  case  of  thone, 
for  whose  benefit  he  was  pleased  to  grant  it.     This  rule  is 
his    revealed   word,  or  will  ;   and  it  applies  to  those  objedts, 
for  which  it  v/as  principally  needed  ;   the  objcc\s  cf  spiritual 
life  and  salvation.     It  meets  man  upon  the  ground  of  h\sfally 
alienatisn^  and  apostasy  from  God:   And  till  a  man  finds  him- 
self upon  that  ground,  it  cari  be  no  rule  to  liim,  and  will  do 
him  no  good,  respecling   those    objecls  of  it  just  mcniioned. 
The  question   then   occurs,  Hov/  is  man   to  be  brought  npoa 
this  ground,  with  respecl  to  his /?j/-6T/^//':'»7  .^  for  it  v/iil  ap- 
pear, that,  perceiving  it  or  not,  he  is  certainly  upon   it, — 
The   rule    revealed  has  furnished  an   answer.     Considering 
him  as  dead  in  siny  it  shev/s,  that  the  Spirit  of  God  alo.ie  can 
cjuickcn  from  that   death — as    depraved   and  departed  from 
God;   that  this  Spirit  restores  and  p;ive3  an  access  'vjitb  con- 
Jldcnce  through  Christ  Jesus — as  having  a  %\}ic!ied  -cvi^.  stc^ny 
heart  naturally  ;  that  the  same  gracious  agent  converts  and 
renews  it  to  a  heart  offlesb^  capable  c>^ perceiving  ^w6.  f^elir.g 
■what  it  never  could  before — and  (to  avoid  n^ore  particulars  at 
present)  this  rule  treats  man,  as  blind  in  the  soul,  darkened  in 
the  under st.7ndi?ig^  and  utterly  ignorant  of  God  and  his  glory  ; 
and  shews  that  this  almighty  Spirit  alone  oper.s  the  cjes  of 
the  mind^  enligbtens  the  undersiaKcling^  and  teaches  all  tbings 
which  are  necessary  to  be  known,     licnce,  it  may  be  seen, 
-as  clearly  as  the  words  of  this  revelation  can  manifest  it,  that 
man,  being  ignorant,  cannot  teach  himself  and   beinp;^  /*' t-a, 
cannot  recce^er  himself,  or  attain  any  understanding  of  God  ; 
unless  God  in  mercy  first  visit  him  by  Wtz  gracious  Spirit,  and 
teacii  h-im  the  use  ofthat  revelation,  resped-Vi.ig  his  6tate  ana 
condition  for  time  and  eternity,     (^od  shevvS  man  J'.ta   own 
darkness^  before  he  admirs  him'  to  know,  or  consider  liitr.self 
?.3    li:^L->t  in  the  Lord.      'i'his  is  the  Scripture-mode  of  repre- 
senting m.an   since  the  fail ;  ai:d  ll-crefore,  they  who  deny  it, 
<?r   attempt   to  coriduex  il-emsclves  by  any  otlicr  line,  oppose 


310  UNDERSTANDING. 

the  only  straio;ht  rule  which'God  ever  gave  to  man,  and  con- 
sequently Wivlk  in  the  crooked  paths  of  spiritual  error. 

\Vc  are  come  to  the  use  and  necessity  cF  that  ofiire  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  by  which  he  is  known  to  be  the  Spirit  oi  i{?t- 
dcv standing,  God  is  understanding  in  himself,  and  in  a  mode 
incommunicable  to  us  ;  but,  in  mercy  to  poor  sinners,  tlie 
second  persoji  would  be  known  under  the  name  of  wisdom^ 
to  be  commujucable  wisdom  for  them  ;  and  the  Hcly  Spirit^ 
or  third  person,  assumed  the  office-name  of  understandings  to 
give  them  an  iindi^rstanding  'iuhicb  is  truc^  and  to  lead  them 
forward  to  contemplate,  receive  and  effjoy  Christ,  who  is  the 
wisdom  and  power  of  God.  The  divine'persons  confer  upon 
believers,  according  to  their  state,  a  due  portion  of  their  of- 
ficlal  influences.  Hoppy^  therefore^  is  the  man^  that  fmdttb 
■WISDOM,  and  the  man  thai  gcttetb  UNDERSTiiNDiNG.  It  shall 
give  to  his  head  an  ornament  of  grace^  a  crown  of  glory  shall 
it  deliver  to  him  I 

This   great   and   glorious  understanding   then  descends 
from  heaven,   that    tliose,  »on   whom  ht  descends,  may  both 
experimentally  know"-^'   themselves^    and    know  hinu      From 
hence  it    follows,    that,  'voithout  this  descent,  they  can  know 
neither   aright.       This   understanding  is  also  cloathed  v/ith 
pomicr  :  he    is   not  a    naked    idea   or  an  unfelt  notion,  which 
leaves  the  heart  as   it  was,  while  it  puffs  up  the  mind  j  but 
life,  light,  adivity,    joy,  and  immortality,  all  together.     He 
comes  as  God,  u7'/>6  thepo^vjerofGod^  and  not  only  bears  down 
all  resistance   from   without,    but    turns   the  heart  into  so 
sweet  a  compliance  within,  that  it  yields  as  much  by  its  own 
will,  as  by  the  wnll  of  the  Spirit  itself,  v/hich  bears  it  along. 
Thus    the  heart   Kvould  not  resist,  if  it  could.     *•'  When  tiie 
Lord  himself  (says  the  amiable  archbishop  Lcigbtcn  f)  speaks 
by   his   soirit    to  a  man,  selecling  and  calling  Www  out  of  the 
lost  world  J  lie  can  no  m.ore  disobey  than  Abraham  did,  when 
the  Lord  spoke  to  him,  after  an  extraordinary  manner,  lo  de- 
part   from  his  own  country  and  kindred. — There  is   a  secret, 
but  verv  powerful,  virtue  in  a  word,  or  look,   or  touch  of  tliis 
Spirit  upon    the  soul,  by  which  it  liforced^  not  with  a  harsh 
but  pleasing   violence,    and   cannot  chiiseh\M  fellow   it  ;  not 
uidike   that  of  £/(;V/-6'/ mantle  upon  Elisba.  i  Kings  xix.  19. 
How  easily  did  the  discirdcs  forsake  their  callings  ani  dweU 
lin!,^s   to  follow  Christ  :" 

It    is  this    UXDLRMTANDING,    t;/hich    accoiripanies  hia   own 

*  So,  to  Lno-^v  ii'isdoni^Vvov.  1.  2.  means  bon:sil;le  perception  and 
experimental  knov/Iedge.  Tl:e  word i^y  i mplics  thut  thorough  and 
certain  rcco;;nitionj  v/hich  gives  the  wt.V.:/ cr  £:rr:r  full  evidence  or 
conviciien  of  a  niiitter. 

t  Com-'r..  upon  1  /'.'f.  i.  2, 


U  N  D  E  R  S  T   A  N  J3  I  N  ().  3^1 

word   with  convi6iion  and  denionstraiion  to  the  the  souls  of 
his    people  :   w-thout  liim,  the  word,  incsiiniubly  precious  nt 
it  is,  can  only  touch  the  ear,  without  reaching  the  heart.     It 
is    HE,  who    giveth  understanding  to  tbc  sijn/jlc^  and  often  by 
means    of  a  few  plain  and  simple  v/ords  ;  while  the  rhetoric 
and   other    literary    embellishment.';   of  man  live  only  in  ti»e 
sound.    These,  however  ingenious  inthemsclvcs,  or  in  hui-.ian 
esteem,  when  they  pretend  to  a61:  in  divir.e  things,  presently 
discover  ther  weakness  and  futility,  and,  like  the  Uiomcntary 
ebullitions  of  froth,  arc  lost  in  air.       How  often  shall  a  plain 
sermon  and    an    unstudied   book,  where  the  man  himself  has 
not  aimed  to  Be  seen  but  only  to  sbsij  his  Lord,  be  blessed  to 
the   conversion,   establishment    and    hapj;iness   of  immortal 
souls;  when   pompous   orations    and    laboured  performances 
shall  evaporate  in  sound,  or  (what  is  much  the  same)  produce 
no  spiritual  good  ?  or,    if  they  are  remembered    for  a  w  hile, 
they   are  remembered  not  for  God's  ^,lorv,  but  for  the  praise 
of  these   dying  creatures  who  made  them.     A  poor  employ- 
ment this,  to  speak  andv/rite  for  the  breath  of  worms  which 
is  at  first  corrupt  in  itself,  and  soon  vanishes  into  nothing! 

This  glorious  understanding  takes  of  tie  things  of  ^J  csus 
and  explains  them  to  tire  mind,  inducing  botiia  right  appre- 
hension and  a  true  experience  at  once.  He  is  the  great 
teacher  ;  not  of  mere  words,  barren  c,omments  ;  not  (jf  florid 
fancies  and  airy  speculations;  but  of /,^'/;z^^j-,  and  of  tilings 
;'/Vy6  and  j-^/yj,  cven^r^?^^  and^/orjy  everlasting.  All  the  un- 
derstanding, which  he  communicates  to  the  soul,  is  to  be  en- 
joyed as  well  as  known,  to  be  lived  upon  in  the  heart,  while 
it  is  found  S'ujeet  to  tbc  taste.  Without  him  there  is  ncithsr 
life  nor  power  iu  theniostjust  or  excellent  words  ;  witness  the 
v/ord  of  God  liimself,  which  is  a  bsok  scaled^  a  book  unfelt  and 
unendearcd,  till  the  great  teacher  apply  it  to  tiie  soul.  If 
this  great  understanding  be  not  present, /;'V.v<:/6//7j  //  vain^ 
and  bearing  is  also  vain.  Without  him,  preachers  however 
learned  or  able  in  other  respecls,  are  but  mere  pulpiteers,  not 
ministers  of  Jesus  rigiitly  dividing  the  word  of  truth  ; — tiuk' 
ling  cymbals^  clear  peihaps  and  fine  ;  sounding  brass^  loud, 
yet  only  noise  and  slievv.  Without  11  im,  people  also  may  be 
professors,  towering,  old  and  esteen^ed  professors,  but  not 
Christians  indeed,  not  perfect*,  mild,  nor  hunilde  followers 
of  a  meek  and  lowly  Saviour.     And  v.'itliout  iiir.i  it  ii  p^:si- 

*  This  much-abused  v/ord  occurs  very  pu'liculsrly  in  1  Cor.  ii.6. 
Eph.  iii.  5.  and  in  some  otiier  place:;.  It  by  no  mc-m^s  implies  a 
perfcc^tion  devoid  of  sin,  but  tiiat  man^y  degree  of  kuowlcdgc, 
which  in  iiuman  capacity  is  oppo*icd  to  o«frf///yand  wt7//n<w,  and 
in  sacred  life  to  those  wiio  urc  bdbc:  in  Christ.  Thus  among  the 
Pythagoreans^  the  rj?.;.a>  yrtCQ  Lho.-ic,  Avlio,  lilte  the  rs'm  in  the  fcx. 


3-2  UNDERSTANDING. 

ble  to  be  members  of  an  outward  church,  and  of  the  purest 
outward  church  too  in  the  world  ;  and  yet  not  members  of 
Christ's  mystic  body,  nor  communicants  with  him  the  living 
head.  In  a  word,  as  v.ntb  him,  m^nh^zomQ  bcirs  of  God 
and  joint-bcirs  'iuitb  Cbrlst^  both  for  grace  and  glory  j  so 
nvtibout  bii::^  they  have  noticing  but  spiritual  ignorance,  van- 
ity, corruption,  and  wretchedness  without  end. 

How  often,  to  convince  us  of  this,  doth  this  Almightv  Un- 
derstanding work  faith  and  confer  knowledge  upon  many 
low,  despised,  and  (in  other  respe6ls)  ignorant  souls  ;  while 
He  leaves  the  learned  and  the  proud  to  the  wretciicd  igno- 
rance, error  and  uncertainty  of  all  human  knowledge?  And 
hov>^  often,  to  put  the  utmost  contempt  upon  this  knowledge, 
vvhich  wholly  leaves  a  m.an  at  the  grave,  doth  He  suiTer  the 
grand  deluder  of  the  world  to  perplex  these  wise  and  great 
ones  in  labyrinths  of  their  own  making?  What  a  great  pro- 
fane v^itf  once  said,  every  man  out  of  Christ,  whether  learn- 
ed or  ignorant,  may  say  too;  Diibius  v?xl^  incertus  inorior  : 
"^  I  lived  in  doubt,  and  quite  uncertain  die."  There  can  be  no 
certainty,  but  in  truth  ;  and  there  is  no  truth,  Vv'hich  can  pro- 
fit the  soul,  but  what  is  discovered  in  the  word  of  God.  If 
we  venture  to  ground  our  knov/iedge  in  divinity  upon  any 
thing  but  tbe  <X'ritten  testhnony^  we  shall  find,  to  our  cost, 
that  the  devil  is  an  abler  logician  than  the  acutest  of  us  all. 
He  not  only  can  impose  his  sopliisms  upon  us  for  truths,  but 
can  corrupt  and  ensnare  the  alfeclions,  while  he  puzzles  and 
confounds  the  mind.  He  has  cheated  every  one  of  us  ten 
tliousand  times  :  We  know,  too,  that  we  have  been  cheated  j 
and,  yet  so  well  can  his  artiRces  soothe  and  suit  our  corrup- 
tions, that  unless  this  Spirit  of  truth  restrain,  he  will  de- 
ceive us  to  the  end.  'Tis  this  ail-wise  teacher  alone,  who 
enables  his  disciples  to  detect  Satan's  fallacies,  and  suffers 
not  the  meanest  of  them  to  be  wholly  ignorcvJ  of  bis  devices. 
lij::  graciously  exposes  the  snare,  removes  erroneous  impres- 
sions and  revives  the  heart  too  with  a  persuasion,  which 
(hovv^cver  languid  and  obscured  at  times)  shall  never  iinally  be 
baffied  or  lost. 

Doth  not  all  this  explain  to  tlie  believer,  or  enforce  the 
explanation,  that  the  source  of  his  spiritual  knov/ledge  lies 
6z<:/ of  hJn^Gelf,  and  that  it   ilov/s  freely   and  only  from  Kim, 

/■j// schcoi;-:,  v.'crc  dliilinguisbcd  from  the  novices,  or  mere  learners. 
And  thus  in  the  scliool  ofCiirist,  xhcr-Mioiihc  pcrfi^ct,  or  v/tU-es- 
ttiblishcd  disciples,  being  arrived  to  the  measure  o(o.perftct  man, 
become  by  degrees  fathers  and  old  men^  who  are  r.ot  to  be  carried 
cboiit,  Pike  children  or  novices,  'iviili  every  ivind  of  doctrine.  See  sev- 
eral criti.'/rsms  upon  the  word  in  Lkioti's  critica  sacra. 

t  Duke  of  Bvch{n:^ham, 


U  N  D  E  R  S  T  A  N  D  1  N  G.  323 

wiio  is  all  understanding  to  teacli,  ami  all  jioix\'r    t')  preserve 
those  that   aej)end  upon  hira  ? — It  is  a  striklrii;  p?.Rsa^;;  (al- 
ready noticed)    in   Plutarcb^  that    Pericles^  whenever  l)c  at- 
tempted to  address    the  people,  used   to  pray  to  the  gods, 
that  no  unbecoming  word  or  improper  expression  mij^lit  pasi 
his    lips  :     And  shall  a  heathen  to  his  idols  do  this,  animated 
only,  as  Pericles  was,  with  the   dyiny;   concerns  of  a  morr.ent, 
and  thus  put  to  shame  those  who  know  the  true  ("iod,  and  pro- 
fess the  hope  of  livin,;  with  Him  throuf'^h  eternity  ?  Ou'du  not 
Christians,   above  all  men,  in    the  deepest  distrust   oi"  tlicir 
own  sufficiency,   to  ask  for    wisdom  at  the  sprin«-head  of  all 
wisdom,  even  of  God,  ivbo  givetb  liberally^  and  vfn'raidctb  not. 
Are  they  privileged  to  have  a  right  ur.dir  standing  in  all  things 
pertaining  to   salvation  ;     and  shall   thev  not  nj^ply  for  it   to 
that  bountiful  Spirit,   who  will  deny  them   nothing   for  ilicir 
good?      Alas!   Did  this   humble,    yet  wise  and  safe,  frame  of 
mind  more  obtain  among  professors;  what  a  didcrcnt  scene 
would  appear  in  tlic  church  of  God  below?     What  dilTercnt 
sort  of  people  would  be  found  in  the  professing  world?  Tliis 
at  once   would  dissolve  half  our  parties  and  divisions,  which 
originated  from  pride,  passion  and  disappointment  on  the  one 
hand,  and  from  interest,  insolence,  and  intolerancy  of  mind, 
on  the  other.     It  would  then  be  seen,  tliat  it  is  the  Sjjirit  of 
the  'world  which  forms   and  foments  divisions,   not  only  rrof.i 
divine  truth,  but  from  the  unity  of  tiiose  brethren  in  whom 
the  truth  resides  j   and  by  no  means  the  Spirit  of  God^  v/ho  is 
the  author  of  peace   and  concord.     It  is  none  of />/V  wisdom, 
which  tinds  owl  points  of  dijerencc^  nor  indcced  any  true  na- 
tural wisdom,  aniong   men  ;  but  a  foolish  and  wicked   s'pirit, 
which    either    cannot    or   will   :;ot    discern     those    essential 
grounds  of  holiness  and  peace;   in   Vv'!::ch  ail   C^hristianr.,   as 
Christians,  must  bs    agreed.      The   Spirit   of  truth,  who  is 
understandings  inclines  all  liis  people  to  rej-jicc  in  the  Taunr, 
iiot  only  as  it  appears  in    tlie  narrow  circle  of  a  parti(;i:lar 
profession,  but  also  ivhercDcr  it  is  to  l/tifoutid^  awX  will  draw 
the  heart  of  a  believer  to  love  anotlier  believery^;-  the  truth'' s 
sake^  though  his  mode  of  eiucaLJo,!,  anotlier  set  of  phr;i5C8,  or 
a  dilferent  habit,  may  have  Gct   iheiii  at  a  distance  in  the  o- 
pinion  of  men.      If  God  h:;s  voiichsarcd  \\\s  grace  and  iove  to 
:;  man,  wliom  we,  as  Peter  thought  oi  Cornelius^  may  perhaps 
have  considered  as  unclean  ;  who  are  wc,  that  we  should  with- 
hold owr  alFec'tions  where  God  hath  bestowed  bis?  Arc  wc 
not  alarmed  witli  a  fear,  lest  in  so  doing,  we  should  'vjitbstand 

Qod? It  is  however  a  reviving  fa^,  that  those  souls,  v/ho 

have  had  most  true  life  and  spirituality,  and  tiierefort:  walked 
tlie  closest  in  qommunion  witli  God,  have  ever  been  the  niost 
gentle,  humble,  and  conciliating,  v/ith  rcspet^  to  their  con- 
du'R  am^ii'^  men.     They  feel  too  miich  of  their  own  wcakneis 


5^4  UNDERSTANDING. 

atul  frailty  to  venture  upon  those  large  strides  of  presun:ptIoii^ 
whicli  tiie  want  only  of  true  understanding  and  clearness 
could  ever  prompt  others  to  make,  in  many  a  difficult  and 
slippery  road.  They,  who  hastily  Jm/w/j  to  conclusions^  (as 
one  used  to  express  it)  are  commonly  those,  who  see  but  a 
little^  and  presume  a  great  deal:  Did  they  see  more  of  the 
way  berore  them,  tliey  would  not  attempt  to  raw^  where  the 
ablest  find  it  a  labor  to  wall:.  To  the  grief  of  soberer  minds, 
iiow  often  may  they  hear  some  poor  talkative  professors  de- 
termining upon  the  most  difficult  and  sublime  topics,  with  the 
positive  air  and  authority  of  a  general  council  ?  And  how  of- 
ten do  such  persons  take  a  great  deal  of  pains  to  prove,  to 
every  intelligent  Christian,  that  really  they  know  nothing  of 
tiic  matter?  Bishop  Hall  names  a  man  of  this  sort,  "  a  blad- 
der full  of  wind,  a  skin  full  of  words,  a  fool's  v/onder,  and  a 
Vv'isa  man's  fool."  It  is  indeed  vQvy  diflerent  to  confess  the- 
truth,  and  to  make  2i  profession  of  it :  The  one  implies  a  pre- 
vious and  certain  knowledge;  whereas  the  other  may  be 
proposed  vv^ithout  any  knowledge  at  all.  The  m.eanest  be- 
liver,  'tis  true,  may  be  called  upon  at  some  time  or  other,  to 
speak  for  his  master  and  the  truths  of  his  gospel ;  and  in  do- 
ing this,y6';-  God,  he  is  not  to  fear  the  face  of  man  :  But  he 
will  always  remember,  or  ought  to  remember  that,  if  God's 
providence  has  rendered  this  a  just  or  necessary  duty,  God's 
^race  will  not  leave  him  to  himself,  but  be  his  mouth  andtxis- 
doui^\\\">  aid  and  support,  which  the  enemies  of  truth  shall  not 
be  able  to  cverthrow.  In  a  word  every  believer  might  take  up 
his  v;ord,   upon    sucii  occasions,  and  address  himself  to  God  j 

JVhe ne'er  thy  lsws.f 

Thy  tr:iih  and  cause 

To  oil' 72,  my  duty  he  j 

From  fear  of  sham  e, 

Or  love  of  fame  ^ 

GcodhoRD^  deliver  7ne  I 
Upon  tiie  whole,  v^emay  refiedl  that  man  hath  no  spiritual  un- 
dcrstandingfrom  himself  that  he  cannot  procure  itbutthrough 
the  internal  re)iewin,o-  and  operation  of  the  Spirit  o^mider- 
standing  2nd  that  he  cannot  even  exercise  it,  when  conferred 
upon  him,  but  by  the  continual  agency  of  this  Holy  One.  Tho  in- 
ference from  all  which,  to  the  soul  of  the  believer,  is,  that  it  is 
necessary  for  him,  never  to  Icaji  to  his  O'von  understandings 
but  simply  to  depend  upon  this  Loud  the  Spirit  far  his/«- 
struction  iti  righteousness  in  tlie  use  of  his  word  ;  and  that, 
for  this  reason,  he  ouglit  ever  to  pray  for  the  ful^lmcnt  of 
the  promise,  that  this  blessed  guide  may  not  only  be  lu/;/?  him 
but  dwell  in  him,  as  a  fountain  of  grace  and  U'Ulerst-indlng, 
sprln;i;iiig  up  into  cverlasti'/g  life. 


(3  I  L     A  F     O  I.  A  U  N  F.  S  S  jjj 


O  I  L  OF  G  L  A  D  N  E  S  S. 

OIL  is  one  of  the  three  active  principles  (as  tl\c  chemists 
assert),  which  enter  into  tlie  composition  of  all  animal 
and  vegetable  substances,  and  by  which  they  are  enabled 
both  to  subsist  and  grow.*  Tlie  er.seruial  oil  lubricating 
knd  sheathing  all  the  parts,  and  forming  a  vehicle  for  the  es- 
sential salt  or  nitre  by  being  pcrfeclly  intermixed,  and  both 
these  acled  upon  by  the  light;  is  the  m-jan  used  by  tlie  wise 
Creator  to  put  in  motion  the  spirit  of  the  whole  animal  and 
vegetable  oeconomy,  or,  in  other  words,  to  cause  it  to  live  asd 
prosper.  When  a  tree  dies,  we  perceive  an  abstra6lion  of 
this  oil  from  its  substance ;  for,  when  a  part  of  it  is  placed 
upon  the  fire,  it  will  yield  no  flame,  as  every  substance, 
^vhich  hath  oil  in  it,  obviously  will.  And  every  body  knows 
that  the  fatness  of  animals,  vv^hich  proceeds  from  the  exuber- 
ance of  this  natural  oil,  is,  when  proportional  to  the  other 
parts  of  the  frame,  both  indicative  or  their  health  and  con* 
ducive  to  their  beauty. 

As  oil  is  an  essential  part  of  the  life,  health,  strength,  and 
beauty  of  substantial  forms  ;  it  hath  pleased  the  divine  wisdom 
to  constitute  it  for  the  emblem  of  that  Holy  One,  who  in> 
})arts  every  portion  of  divine  life,  vigor,  and  glory  to  the  spi- 
ritual world.  Whoever  is  not  a6\ed  upon  by  or  is  not  posses- 
ed  of  Him,  is  dead^  according  to  the  Scripture,  in  the  most 
dreadful  sense  of  that  term.  Whoever  doth  not  "enjoy  Him, 
is  so  far  from  being  spiritually  bcautifuU  that  he  is  as  loath- 
some and  abominable  in  the  sight  of  y't'bQvrb^  as  a  putrid  and 
stinking  carcase,  can  fee  unclean  and  oiTensive  to  the  naiuial 

Ss 

*  The  earth,  r/hile  it  supplies  the  varir;us  plant'^  v.hich  pTow 
upon  it,  is  s\ipplied  for  tliat  purpose  very  ivuch  by  the  clew,  which 
is  full  of  oleaginous  particles.  ''  The  dews  (sr.ys  our  pliiloso:  hical 
husbandman,  Mr.  Tidi)  seem  to  be  the  richest  present  ihe  ..tmos- 
phere  gives  to  the  earth  ;  having,  v.  hen  putvified  m  a  vessel,  a 
black  sediment  like  mud  at  the  bottom.  This  seems  io  c  ausc  ihe 
darkish  colour  to  the  upper  part  of  the  grcuiul.  And  the  rulphur 
which  is  found  in  the  dew,  may  be  the  cliiei  ingredient  of  ihc  ce- 
ment of  the  earth  ;  sulphur  being  very  glutinous,  as  nitre  is  dis- 
solvent. Dew  has  both  thc^c"  Tull  s  l.r.sbandrj^ .  c.  vi. — A  live- 
ly comment  this  upon  tl:?t  rracious  prom.ise,  I  rill  ie  as  tht  tVty 
imto  Israel;  Hos.  xiv.  5.  /.  f.the  spiriturd  ciusc  cl  ollg:aciouf  fer- 
tility. 


326  O  I  L     o  r     G  L  A  D  N  E  S  S. 

sense  of  man.  None  ought  to  be  ofFended  at  the  strength  of 
these  expressions  ;  for  this  very  image  is  employed  by  God 
himself  to  describe  his  abhorrence  of  the  state  of  sin,  and  of 
those  who  are  in  it.  Is.  xxxiv.  3. 

These  premises  may  lead  us  to  the  spiritual  design,  for 
which  the  Lord  instituted,  with  so  much  precision,  the  cere- 
mony of  un6lion  under  the  Jewish  dispensation.  Not  more 
than  the  blood  of  bulls  and  goats  could  take  a'vjay  sin^  could  oil, 
as  a  material  substance,  either  be  holy  or  rr.ake  holy.  It  was 
what  the  oil  signified,  and  what  Jehovah  revealed  under  its 
emblem,  which  fulfilled  that  gracious  intention  to  the  heirs  of 
salvation.  The  true  believers  then,  as  well  as  now,  were  di- 
vinely instrucfled  to  resolve  the  parable,  and  through  the  a- 
gent  in  nature,  or  natural  obje6t,  to  behold  and  to  experience 
the  spiritual  blessing  from  the  God  of  grace.  Neither  Moses^ 
nor  any  other  man,  was  equal  to  the  comprehension  of  so 
rauch  wisdom,  as  the  Spiritual  eye  sees,  in  the  legal  oeconomy, 
under  its  various  types  and  shadows  ;  nor  could  any  human 
ingenuity  have  contrived  mysteries  so  loudly  prophetic  and 
deeply  predicable,  as  those  in  the  Levitical  service,  even 
though  previously  possesed  of  the  gospel.^'  A  gracious  mind 
sf:es  the  hand  of  God,  beyond  the  power  of  man,  in  the  whole 
arrangement  and  design. 

When  unclion  was  prepared  according  to  the  command 
ment  in  Exod.  ixx.  23,,  S;c.  the  basis  of  which  was  oil-olivCy 
strongly  impregnated  with  three  principal  spices  ;  and  when 
this  preparation  was  poured  upon  the  head  of  Aaron,  and  of 
his  sons  the  high-priests  after  him  ;  they  spiritually  beheld 
the  promise,  and  the  mode  of  its  fulfilment,  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  wouldj  in  the  fullness  of  time,  descend  upon  the  great 
head  of  the  church,  and  from  him  flow  down  to  all  his  mem- 
bers, that  they  also  might  be  aii  habitation  cf  God  through  the 
Spirit.  They^  saw,  that  he  was  to  be  anointed  (whence  his 
name  Messiah^  Christ')  with  this  Oil  of  Gladness  above  those, 
whom  in  mercy  he  would  call  and  make  his  fellows.  Ps.  xlv 
7.  They  foresaw  in  faith,  that  the  Spirit  Jkhovah  would 
reft  upon  him  (Is.  xi.  2.)  and  be  upon  him,  anointing  hi?n  to 
preach  good  tidings  (Is.  Ixi.  i.)  and,  in  a  word,  to  do  ail  that 
was  necessary  to  be  done  for  his  people's  salvation. f  The 
souls.     It  might  also  signify,  the  internal  consolation,  life  and 


*  An  Heathen  professed,  Tradodit  arcano  qnodninque  vohimin-c 
Moses.  Juv.  Sat.  xiv.  /.  102.  And  to  thousands,  who  would  not 
■wish  to  be  thought  Heathens,  the  writings  of  mosesxs  as  much  a 
volumon  urcumon  arcMmww  as  they  were  to  JiivcuaL 

t  The  mode  of  anointing  a  Priest  under  the  lav/  in  the  form  of 
the   Greek  X,  from    whence  it  has  been  conje6\ured  further  that 


O  I  L     o  r     G  L  A  D  N  1'    S  S.  327 

fragrance  of  Lhis  sweet  un6lion  to  the  outward  smell  signified 
to  them  the  complacency  and  delight  of  the  Holy  One  in  this 
gracious  operation,  and  the  communicated  excellency  bestow- 
ed upon  them,  who  received  this  precious  treasure  into  their 
souls:  It  might  also  signify,  the  internal  consolation,  life 
and  support,  which  they  should  feci  in  themselves  under  his 
sacred  operation. 

When  they  behold  the  high  priest  fully  ano'nUfd  wiih 
the  holy  oil,  so  as  (according  to  the  psalmist)  to  run  doton  up- 
on his  beard^  and  to  the  skirts  of  bis  cioatbinrr  ;  and,  on  the  o- 
ther  hand,  saw  that  the  inferior  priests  were  only  sprinkled 
with  it,  and  this  sprinkling  made  not  without  ihc  blood  of  tbc 
ram  of  consecration :  They  were  led  to  consider,  that  the 
Holy  Ghost  would  be  poured  witbout  measure  upon  the  great 
high  priest  of  our  profession,  because  of  the  infinitude  of  his 
person  and  clhce  ;  but  in  measure  upon  those  who  are  spiri- 
tual priests  in  all  ages  ;  and  that  these  last  would  need  an 
atonement  for  their  sin, (in  contradistindlion  to  the  great  Mes- 
siah J  before  they  could  enter  upon  the  holy  service  of  offer- 
ing up  spiritual  sacrifices  of  prayer  and  thanksgiving  to  the 
Most  High. 

When  they  read,,  that  the  holy  un6lion  was  only  to  be  com- 
pounded for  this  use,  and  that  it  was  by  no  means  to  be  put 
upon  a  stranger  ;  they  understood,  that  tlie  Holy  Ghost  was 
not  only  remote  from  all  impurity  and  the  low  purpose  of  tliis 
mortal  life  in  himself, but  that  also  He  would  peculiarly  ap- 
ply himself  to  the  true  Israel  of  God^  and,  in  that  application, 
render  them  bis  peculiar  people  too.^ 

Thus  the  antient  believers  spiritually  beheld  the  glory  of 
this  divine  person,  and  the  nature  of  his  gracious  oflice  ;  and 
if  we,  in  the  present  dispensation,  are  favoured  with  the 
same  anointing,  we  shall  behold  these  comfortable  intentions 
as  they  did.  We  shall  find,  that  the  institutions  delivered  to 
them  have  a  voice  of  grace  and  truth  i:o  us^  and  preach  aloud, 
that  Christ  and  the  Spirit  are  at  once  the  hope  and  the  means 

through  the  Cross  of  Christ  the  blessings  of  the  spiritual  oil  was  to 
flow,  has  been  treated  of  by  some  ;  but  not  bein^  uutlwriscd  by  the 
written  word,  it  is  not  insisted  upon  here, 

*  The  learned  Dean  Pridcaux,  following  the  Rabbins,  «cems  to 
suppose,  that  this  Holy  Oil  was  but  once  made,  and  that  it  was  after- 
wards m/rjcw/ow^/y  kept  in  the  most  holy  place  till  the  destnicliou 
of  the  first  temple.  But  IVits i us,  Viih  very  apparent  reason,  ur- 
ges, that  there  is  no  ground  from  the  command  in  hxod.  xxx.  to 
suppose,  that  it  was  to  be  compounded  only  once  for  ail  generations, 
but  that  it  was  never  to  be  applied  to  any  profane  use  after  it  was 
compounded.  See  Prideaux  s  Connection,,  p.  1.  B.  ii».  ..  5.  wiTi,, 
JJe  sc:c':rdotio  Aaronis  i^  Christ i.  \  57,  !kc. 


3^8  O  I  L     o  F     G  L  A  D  N  E  S  S. 

of  glory.  We  shall  perceive,  th?it  the  new  Testanient  only 
declares  in  express  words  the  accomplishTTient  in  fac\  of  the 
■preui^lions  of  the  Old,  and  that  there  is  an  inex|:iTessible  har- 
mony and  inseparable  relation  between  thern  both.  This 
un6\ion  will  also  enable  us  to  sec,  that  the  faith  of  God's  e- 
le6t  is  no  novelty,  but  hath  ever  been  one  and  the  same  pre- 
cious gift,  almost  from  the  foundation  of  the  world. 

When  the  great  Messiah  was  to  appear  in  the  flesh  for  the 
accom;)lishment  of  his  people's  redemption,  that  fiesh  was, 
qualilied  for  this  olTice,  not  only  by  the  hypostatic  union 
with  a  person  in  Jehovah,  but  by  the  special  endowment  and 
un^lion  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  for  this  reason,  that,  through 
Christ  as  the  head,  the  Spirit  oFgrace  might  have  communioi^ 
with  all  tbije  members.  Accordingly,  it  was  prophesied  con- 
cerning our  Imjnanticl^  that  the  Spirit  Jehovah  should  rest 
upon  him^  &:c.  (Is.  xi.  2.  and  Ixi.  i.)  constituting  thereby 
what  is  to  be  understood  by  the  typical  un6lion  :  And  indeed 
if  Christ  himself  as  to  his  divine  nature,  be  a  person  in  the 
Godhead,  none  but  a  person  of  co-ecpaal  subsistence  could 
possibly  glorify  him, 'as  God  in  his  arduous  mission.  Nor 
when  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  upon  Christ  at  his  baptism, 
by  which  he  was  evidentially  anointed  and  commissioned  as 
man,  to  proceed  on  his  great  work,  could  any  being  less  than 
the  Almighty  afford  the  qualification.  If  Christ's  disciples 
were  baptized  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  in  order  to  endue  them  ^o^itb 
po'wer  for  the  discharge  of  their  subordinate  commissions  ; 
and  if  this  baptism  be  that  Unction  from  the  Holy  One^ 
which  enableth  the  believer  to  know  all  things  needful  for 
salvation,  aad  is  also  the  Anointing,  'which  TeacHeth  his 
people,  and  is  the  Truth  himself;  i  Johp  ii.  20,  27.  and, 
further,  if  no  other  than  an  infinite  and  almighty  agent  can 
possibly  extend  such  blessings  to  innumerable  obje6ls  at  one 
and  the  same  moment,  and  guide,  rule,  and  preserve  them  to 
everlasting  glory  :  Surely,  it  is  impossible,  that  the  blessed 
Messiah,  'who  is  before  all  things^  and  by  'whom  all  things  con- 
sist^ should  have  the  undion  of  a  creature^  and  a  commission 
from  a  subordinate  being,  to  perform  his  undertaking.  A  man 
must  have  immense  credulity  in  the  possibilities  of  creatures 
to  imagine,  that  a  divine  person  can  receive  accessions  of 
power  or  dignity,  either  from  a  dependent  beings  or  from  a 
mere  e?nanauon  which  can  scarce  be  called  a  being  at  all. — 
To  such  unavoidable  absurdities  are  those  driven,  who,  ac- 
knov>'ieging  the  data^  or  truths  of  tlie  Scripture,  yet  venture 
to  deny  the  conclusions  necessarily  dcducible  from  them  ; 
and  di.-nying  them  because  spiritual  existence  cannot  be  ex- 
plained by  corrupt  reason,  which,  as  to  the  essence  of  even 
the  mear.ist  matter,  can  fully  explain  nothing  in  the  v/orld. 
They  seem  to  forget  exceedingly,  that  if  finite  understand- 


O  I  L     o  F     G  L  A  D  N  E  S  S.  3^9 

}ngs  could  coitiprehend  God,  (speaking  "wllh  reverence)  God 
would  not  be  infinite;  and  that  it  is  a  most  absolute  iuipob- 
sibility  to  know  any  thing  more  of  the  ;;zo<^/c'  of  bis  cxisicncc, 
than  what  he  is  pleased  to  reveal  and  declare  concerning  it. 
It  is  the  wisdom  of  man  and  his  best  reason,  therefore,  to  be- 
lieve implicitly  the  declarations  of  God:  And  to  doubt  him, 
is  that  irrational  atheism,  which  detains  tl^.e  mind  in  every 
niajie  of  error  and  obscurity. 

From  the  above  cor.siderations,  v/e  may  perceive  with  wiMt 
propriety  the  Boly  Gbost  is  culled  the  Spirit  oJClrist  (1  Pet. 
I.  II.)  and  the  Spirit  of  the  Son  (Gal.  iv.  6.)  as  well  as  the 
Spirit  proceeding  from  the  Father  (John  xv.  26.)  or  the  Spi- 
rit of  God  ;  because  the  intercommunion  and  co-existence  of 
the  divine  persons  is  such,  that  whatever  is  pi  edicable  of  one 
of  them,  as  to  their  7iaturc^  is  predicable  ec^ually  of  the  others. 
And  from  hence  also  we  may  understand,  when  it  is  said  con- 
cerning the  faithful;  God  is  in  the?n  (i  Cor.  xiv.  25.)  or 
Christ  is  in  tbein  (Rom.  viii.  10.)  or  the  Spirit  d%vclktb  in 
them  (Rom.  viii.  11.  et  al.J  that  such  plirases  mean,  that 
they  are  partakers  of  the  divine  nature  [z  Pet.  1.  4.)  in 
general,  by  having  communion  with,  or  by  h^'ing partakers  of, 
either  of  the  divine  persons  in  particular.  (See  Heb.  iii.  14. 
vi.  4.)  Upon  the  like  account,  v;hcn  either  of  the  divine  per- 
sons is  mentioned  in  Scripture,  as  the  inunediate  author  of 
grace  or  fellowship  ;  it  is  to  be  understood  that,  througii 
the  office-charafler  and  operation  of  tlie  person  named,  the 
believer  is  to  consider  himself,  m  that  instance,  as  brought 
into  communion  with  the  Godhead.  This  observation  seems 
fully  confirmed  by  our  /.c?r^  himself  in  his  last  prayer  to  the 
Father:  I  iyi  them — this  is  the  nexus^  or  bond  of  union  between 
Christ  and  his  people — andTUoxj  in  me — this  is  the  union  of 
Christ  with  the  Godhead — and,  just  before,  as  thou^  Father^ 
art  in  me^and  I intbee — this  is  the  reciprocal  fellowship  of 
the  divine  persons — that  they  also  may  be  one  in  us — and 
that  implies  the  union  or  fellowship  of  believers  with  thedi 
vine  persons,  as  the  final  object  of  their  salvation.  Hence 
we  see  the  apostle's  meaning,  wliere  he  says,  that  he  that  is 
joined  to  the  Lord  is  oui:  Spirit  :  i  Cor.  vi.  17.  that  believers 
are  members  of  Christ's  body  ^  of  his  fie  sh^  and  of  his  bones  : 
Eph.  v.  30.  that  both  he  that  sanctijieth^  and  thkv  'wLo  are 
sanctified^  are  all  of  one  ;  for  ^cohicb  ceruse  Christ  //  not 
ashamed  to  call  them  brethren  :  Heb.  ii.  11.  And  that  through 
him  [Christ]  they  have  an  access  by  one  Spirit  unto  the 
father.  Eph.  ii.  18)  These  passages  of  Scripture,  and  se- 
veral others  of  the  like  import,  necessarily  infer  both  a  unity 
^ud  personality  in  the  Godhead,  and  also  tlic  cc/rr^vri/c/i  of 
the  saints  vviilj  the  unitv,  by  means  of  the  personality.  Thus 
they    h:ivc  fellowship  ivfth  the  Vathtzyi  {i   J'^hn   i.   30/-V-''-- 


33^  OIL      OF    GLADNESS. 

ship  Viiib  the ^on  (i  Cor.  i.  9.  i  John  i.  3.)  and  the  fdlow- 
ship  of  the  Spirit  (Y\{\\.  ii.  i.)  :  And  v/ill  any  man  venture  to 
say,  that  the  faithful  have  these  fellowships,  or  any  one  of 
them,  all  resulting  from  one  cause,  all  conducive  to  one  end, 
with  any  being  less  than  God  ?  will  he  be  bold  enough  to  de- 
clare, that  the  respedive  communions,  thus  distin6lly  marked 
from  the  several  operations,  and  clearly  leading  (as  in  Eph. 
ii.  18.)  from  the  ofHce  of  one  to  the  other ^  do  not  necessarily 
state  a  personality  and  in  consequence  a  Trinity^  in  the  divine 
nature  ?  And  will  he  dare  to  afHrm,  while  the  Scripture  as 
expressly  reveals  the  M«iry  as  the />crj-ci;:^//Vy,  that  this/j^r- 
ionality  doth  not  subsist  in  the  unity^  and  only  because  he 
cannot  comprehend  it  ? — Men  have  dared  to  affirm  such 
tenets,  though  directly  opposite  to  God's  own  declaration  ; 
and  the  worms,  who  are  not  able  to  comprehend  the  essence 
of  the  least  thing  about  them,  have  been  hardy  enough  to  dis- 
pute against  the  triune  essence  of  their  maker,  in  the  very 
face  of  his  own  communication  and  testimony.  This  method 
is  only  consistent  in  those,  v/hoput  the  Bible  upon  a  level 
with  :^ii?itiis  Curtius  or  any  other  romance,  "  Andwhorea^ 
son  onward,  till  they  doubt  of  God. ^"^  But  the  reason  or  w/j- 
dom  of  this  ^oiorld  never  kne^vo  God\  and  God  bath  made  foolish 
the  I'jisdovi  of  this  ivorld^  and  perhaps  in  no  one  instance 
more  than  when  it  attempts  to  define  H12.1,  who  hath  made 
it  foolish. 

Leaving  these  to  the  divine  mercy  ;  of  this  we  may  be  as- 
sured as  a  truth,  that  those,  who  have  obtained  the  fellowship 
of  the  divine  persons,  cannot  deny  or  doubt  of  their  proper 
divinity,  nor  of -their  unity  of  nature.  Such  are  divinely 
persuaded,  that  their  communion  with  the  Spirit  is  a  com- 
munion with  God  and  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  th^Lt  personal 
paraclete^  or  teacher  who  leadeth  and  guideth  into  all  the  trutt)^ 
and  of  course  into  this  as  a  most  important  branch  oHt. 
They  knoyo  whom  that  have  believed  m  this  case,  as  well  as  in 
all  the  others.  Experience  foUov/s  and  concurs  with  doc- 
trine in  the  great  leading  principles  of  salvation  ;  and  God 
neither  leaves  hi  in  self  without  witness  nor  yet  h\s  people, 
concerning  a  matter  of  such  consequence  to  liis  own  glory. 
It  may  be  said  to  them,  as  it  was  to  the  virgin  Mary  ;  Bles- 
sed are  they  that  believed  ;  for  there  shall  be  a  performance 
of  those  things^ 'ivhich  have  been  told  thein  from  the  Lord. 

The  HOLY  Spirit,  then,  is  not  only  tlie  oil  of  glad- 
ness, but  the  sacred  anointer  too.  God  cannnot  be  passive, 
but  is  always  the  first  great  agent,  adlive  and  acling : 
And,  therefore,  whatever  perfection  is  revealed  concerning 
Him,  or  apprehended  of  Him,  it  is  always  causative  and  effi- 
cient, not  dormant  or  inert,  as  in  the  creatures  till  a6led  up- 
on. l\\  tliis  view,  He  is  the  hope  and  the  strength  of  his  peo- 
ple, helping  their  infirmities,   corrcs^ling  their  errors,   com- 


O  I  L     OF     G  L  A  D  N  E    S  S.  331 

fortlng  their  hearts,  and  carrying  on  the  whine  work  of  grace 
in  them  for  glory.     To  him  they  are  to  h)ok  up  in  all  circum- 
stances and  situations,  and  to  depend  upon  his  blessing,  in  all 
times  of  adversity  or  of  wealth,  of  sickness  or  of  health,  *'  in 
the  hour  of  death,  and  in  the  day  of  judgment."     With   res- 
pe6l  to  the  things  of  time,  they  know  (to  use  the  words  of  an 
ingenious  author)--"  that  ''  if  all  the  [earthly]  happiness  that, 
is  dispersed  through  the  whole  race  of  mankind  in  this  world 
were  drawn  together,  and  put  into  the  possession  of  any  sin- 
gle man,  it  would  not  make  a  very  happy  being  ;"  and,  there- 
fore, they  are  led  by   this  Holy  Spirit  to  seek  for  happiness 
out  of  the  modes  of  the  v/orld  which  can  afford  none,  and  to 
find  a  divine  reality  of  it  in  him. 

From  his  outward  emblem  of  oil,  tliey  are  led  to  under- 
stand some  intimations  of  the  mani>er  of  his  o;race  in  their 
hearts  ;  and  their  souls  are  confirmed  by  experience,  in  what- 
ever their  eyes  can  learn  by  vision  concernina:  it.  To  such, 
the  mention  of  a  few  instances,  may  not,  however  well-known 
be  altogether  unimportant. 

Oil  hath  ever  had  a  most   distinguished  place  in  tlie  maic- 
rla  mcdica^  and,  among  the  antients  in  particular,  was  always 
held    in  the    highest   estimation  as  a  great  antidote   against 
poison^hoili  outwardly  and  inwardly  applied. f  It  was  for  tlii» 
reason,  they  frequently  anointed  theniselvcs  to  induce  health 
and  strength  ;  And  possibly  the  anointing  ivitb  oil  in  the  mime 
of  the  Lord^  mentioned  by  the  apostle,  which  has  been  so  mis- 
erably distorted  to  the  superstition  of  exr rente  unction^  among 
the  papists,  signified  only  that  tiie  friends  of  the  sick  Chris- 
tian should  use  it  medically^  as  a  lawful  means  under  the  di- 
vine blessing,  for  his  recovery.  James  v.  T4' — So,  in  a  spiri- 
tual view,  the  believer  sees,  and  is  happily  made  to  experi- 
ence, that  the  OIL  OF  GLADNESS  is  the  only  great  antidote  for 
the  poison  of  sin,  and  that  this  alone  can  eiTev!:lually  resist  the 
malady  of  a  corrupt  nature,  or  heal  its  putrid  anddestrudive 
wounds.     Luke  x.  33,  &c.  See  also  Is.  i.  6.  When,  tlierefore 
they  see  themselves  sorely  beset,  they  pray  for  this   unction 
of  strength  and  vjisdom  that  they  may  vi^loriously  repel  and 
rightly  understand  :   And  v/hen  they  feel  the  contagions  s^res 
of  iniquity   upon  their   souls,  they   implore  tliis   gracious  a- 
nointing  both  to  mollify  the  pain,  and  to  iieal  up  the  plague. 
Nor  do  they  pray  and  implore  in  vain.     The  Holy  Spirit  is 
given  to  them  that  ask.     He  descends  as  the  oil  from  Christ 
to  heal,  and  becomes  the  oil  of  gL/dnessin  healing,  all  the  ma- 
ladies and  miseries  of  sin.  He  will  finally  make  a  perfect  cure, 
and  bring  them  to  the  regions  of  everlasting   healih  and  joy. 

*  Addison.     Specl.  Xo.  1G3. 

t  Com.  SALMur^iy  in  Guiji.  Panclr.  ?.]..*."•'.  -i-- 


y^z  O  I  L     o  F      GLADNESS. 

There  tliey  snail  have  the  beauty  of  holiness  for  the  ashes  of 
corruption,  this  oil  or  i^ox  for  the  mourjiing  of  sin,  the  gar- 
ment of  praise  for  the  spirit  of  heavir.ess  :  There  they  shall 
be  called  trees  of  righteousness^  the  planting  of  the  Lord^  that 
be  might  be  glorified.  As  this  oil  afPorded  them  a  cheerful 
countenance  even  here  below,  according  to  their  measure  of 
possession  ;  O  how  will  it  gladden  their  spirits  and  beautify 
their  souls,  when  the  possibility  of  corruption  is  done  away 
from  them  for  ever  ! 

Without  oil  in  the  natural  body,  the  springs  of  life  could 
neither  acl  nor  more  ;  and  the  wliole  animal  system,  through 
the  acid  nature  of  some  juices,  and  the  obstrudlions  arising 
from  tlie  viscidity  of  others,  would  soon  be  exsiccated  and 
become  a  lump  of  adust  and  lifeless  matter. — The  parallel 
holds  good  in  the  spiritual  system  ;  for,  without  the  oil  of 
gladness^  there  is  no  power  in  the  fallen  soul  of  man  to  think 
or  a6l  for  God  and  his  ov/n  happiness ;  button  the  contrary, 
sin  rages  in  all  his  faculties,  renders  them  more  and  more  cor- 
rupt, and,  at  length  makes  his  whole  system,  like  a  dry  and 
decayed  branch,  lit  only  for  everlasting  fire. 

Oil,  in  the  vegetable  world,  maintains  the  same  (Economy  as 
in  the  animaL  By  its  penetrating  quality,  it  carries  the  other 
necessary  juices  into  and  thro'  the  finest  vessels,  and  sheathes 
those  vessels  at  the  same  time  from  the  nitrous  and  rough  par- 
ticles, which  mix  and  ascend  with  the  sap.   It  also  seems  to  se- 
parate,strain, or  prevent  from  enterirginto  the  system, all  such 
gross  and  terrene  atoms,  as  would,  if  admitted,  choke  up  the 
capillary   vessels  (which    are   almost  inconceivably   minute) 
and   consequently  induce   disease  and  death. — The   emblem 
expresses  the  case,  as  it  obtains  in  the  spiritual  life.    But  for 
this  HOLT  OIL,  the  word  of  God,   and  the  life  of  God,    could 
find  no  passage  to  the  heart  of  man,  nor  receive  any  lodg- 
ment there.     Neither  law  nor  gospel  could  enter  within  his 
£oul.  *  And,  again,  did  this  spiritual  oil  ow\y  carry  on  the  law 
to  a  man's  spirit,  and  leave  it  there  by  itself  to  operate  with 
its  fiery  nature  upon  him  ;  in  that  view,  there  would  soon  be 
an  end  of  all  his  hope  and  h:ippin'.-?s.   He  would  feel  vengeance 
T/ithin  him,  corroding  with  the  force  of  tlie  worm  that  never 
shall  die  and  of  the  fire  that  never  can  be  quenched.  But  this 
ILjly  Spirit^  applying  tlie  law  to  the  mind,  and  (preserving  our 
frgure)  sheathing  it  with  his  heavenly  grace,  renders  the  la^v 
in  spiritual  experience  like  nitre  in  natural  operation.     As 
nitre  discusses  and  divides  the  atoms  with  which  it  is  inter- 
mixed ;  so  the  law,  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit,  is  the  prepa- 
ration for  the  gospel  ;   and  the  convi6lion  of  sin,  with  which 
it  pierces  the  s'juf,  disposes  it  to  receive  ivitb  meekness  the 
int^raftedKvo-d  oi  s?i\\'2Lt\or\.     And  when   the  soul  is  brought 
to  the  knowlcdgo  r.nd  ctperlence  oUhe  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus; 


O  I  L     o  7     G  L  A  D  N  E  S  S.  2i} 

this  oil  of  ghdncss  preserves  it  from  bcinp;  choakcd  up  witli 
earthly   things  ;   so  that    neither  the    cares  of  the  worKl  nor 
the  deceitfulness  of  riches  can   operate,   as   tliL-y    naturallv 
would,  CO  reader  it  unfruitful.     Thus  this  holy  Lord dc fen (h-cl 
the  inhabitants  <?/ [the  spiritual]  ycnua'cm  ;  so  t!iat  be  that  // 
feeble  among  them  is  as  David  [or  the  beloved  ;  i.  c.  Christ] 
and  the  house  of  David  [.di  the   people  of  ChiisL]  shall  Sc  as 
God  [by  being  jnade  partakers  of  t%e  divine  nature^  and  the  an- 
gel Jehovah  before  thenu  or  Christ  in  them,  and  with  them, 
through  faith,  the  hope  of  glory.     Zech.  xii.  8. 

Were  it  not  for  the  oil  in  plants,  the  acVion  of  light  or 
heat  upon  their  substance  wouKl  soon  exhaust  the  ac[ueous 
and  other  juices,  and  consequently  would  destroy  it.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  natural  oil,  by  its  tenacity,  which  [as  Dr. 
^lincy  assures  us]  is  *'  a  kind  of  glue  or  cement  to  the  other 
principles,"*"  preserves  the  frame  from  the  penetrating  effccU 
of  the  frost,  and  especially  where  the  oil  has  been  matured 
and  duly  conco6\ed  ;  for  those  late  and  tender  shoots,  \i\ 
which  the  aqueou?  parts  of  the  sap  predominate,  not  having 
had  time  for  the  requisite  digestion,  are  often  destroyed  by 
the  winter  ;  when  the  lower  parts  of  the  same  branches,  and 
the  rest  of  the  plant  or  tree,  have  received  no  injury. — So 
the  oil  ofgrace^  communicated  by  the  divine  Spirit,  preserves 
his  people  in  all  kinds  of  trial  :  And  the  more  tliey  ])ossess 
of  his  saving  power,  the  better  able  are  they  to  resist  and 
overcome  those  things,  which  entirely  overwhelm  the  rest 
of  the  world. 

One  property  of  oil  is  to  soften  and  supple  what  it  is  applied 
to  in  nature  for  that  purpose. — The  eiTe^l  also  in  grace  of  the 
oil  of  gladness  is  an  inwrought  tenderness  of  sj)irit  and  con- 
science, which  enables  the  Christian  to  receive  with  meekness 
and  humility  the  holy  will  of  God,  S:  to  dread  the  very  thought 
of  acting  contrary  to  it-  Tliis  oil  of  salvation  carries  home  the 
nevj  covenant^  in  its  promised  power,  to  the  Christian  ;  by 
taking  away  his  stony  heart,  and  giving  him  a  heart  of  flesh 
in  its  stead.  Every  body  knows  that  oil  is  the  universal  pa- 
bulum or  supply  of  light,  and  that  without  the  oleaginous  par  • 
tides  neither  vegetable  substances,  as  wood,  nor  mineral 
matter,   as    coal,   would  emit  a  flame,   though   placed    in  the 

strongest  fire. Thus,    without   the    oil  of  gladness^  there 

can  be  no  reception  of  Christ,  the  true  L'ght,  no  meetness 
for  him  within  the  soul.  The  Spirit  of  life  intrudwccs  the 
Light  of  life  ;  their  personal  union  is  inseparable  i  and  so 
is  their  aaion.  No  man  can  call  Jesus  Lord  [savingly  call 
him  his  Lord]   but  by  the  Holy  Ghost  :   And  no  man  having 

T  t 

•  rharm.  P.  i.  >.  1. 


...  OIL     or     GLADNESS. 

-^^ 

the  Holy   Ghost,    can  do  otherwise.     Thi".   is    very  plain  in 

the  parable  of  the  virgins.     The  five  foolish   had  indeed  the 
lamps    of  profession;     but    they   had   no    oil   within    them. 
When,  therefore,  the  bridegroom  came  (say,  either  in  death 
or  judgment,)  they  had  no  light  ;  because  they  had  not  that, 
which  is  the  concomitant  of  it  within  them.     In  other  words, 
l^ehig  scjuual^  not  having  the  Spirit^  they  were  ivitbout  Christy 
and  shut  out,  in  consequence,  from  his  kingdom. — The  Scrip- 
ture,  likewise,  represents  the   church  under  the   figure  of  a 
candlestick  with    many  branches  ;  but  as  the  candlestick  in 
the  holy  place   had    no  light  in  itself,  but  received  fitst  the 
holy  oil,  and  then  the  flame  ;  so  is   it  with  every  individual 
believer  and  with  the   church  of  God  at  large.     They  must 
receive   the  quickening  power  of  the  Spirit,  before   they  can 
see  their   need  of  Christ,  or   have  the   least  desire    towards 
him.     He  prepares  their  hearts  for  that  vital  flame,  which 
shall   never  be   extinguished  to    all  eternity.     And  then,  as 
the  soul  enlightens  the  body  for  its  natural  life,  by  dwelling 
in  and  animating  it  :   So  the  Holy  Ghost   illuminates  and  ac- 
tuates the  soul  by  making  it  his  own  habitation.   Eph.  ii.  22., 
Hence  the  antient  Christians  called  the  ordinance  of  baptism 
(^uriayios^  or  illuminatio7t^  because  it   was  the  outward  sign  of 
possesing  Christ,  the  light   of  the  soul  :   And,  for  the  same 
reason,  they    styled  the  solemn   days,  appointed  for  that  or- 
dinance, the   days  of  light  ;  the    newly   baptized,  the   7te'ivly 
enlightened  ;   and  ihe  time  of  Christ's  own  baptism,  the  light- 
bringing  dayy  all  which  terms  they   employed  to  denote  the 
spiritual  efre6l  of  divine  mercy,  namely,  light  to  the   viind."^ 
Analogous  to  this,  the  participation  of  the  Spirit  is  called  and 
prefigured  by  the  unclion  v/ith  consecrated  oil  :   And  thus  the 
Messiah^    or  Christ,  or  anointed  one,  ^v^s  anointed  with  the 
oil  of  gladness,  in   token  of  being  imbued  with  the  holy  Spi- 
rit ;   and  his  people  are  called  Christians,  or   anointed,  be- 
cause, in  being  truly  his  people,  they  have  received  the  same 
Spirit  with  him,  and  bv  him.  Of  his  fulness  have  all  these  re- 
ceived, and  grace  for  i^roce.  John  i.    16.     The  oil  of  gladness, 
flowing  from  him,  is  that  enlivening  and  enlightening  chrism, 
which  makes  them  Christians,  and  keeps  thcni  so. 

Under  the  law,  there  is  a  positive  prescription  concerning 
the  use  of  oil  in  presenting  every  mincha,  or  offering  of  faith 
and  thanksgiving,  under  several  forms  and  types,  before  the 
Lord.  A  specification  of  this  kind  of  oblation  is  made  in 
Lev.  ii.  and  ix.  And  the  reader,  who  wishes  to  dwell  parti- 
cularly upon  the  several  distin6lions  and  meanings  of  the  le- 
gal oblations,  may  be  much  gratified  in  perusing  the  learned 

•  See  the  cider  Spanheim  dc  baptismo  ignis. 


OIL     OF     GLADNESS.  3^- 

Meclc's  discourse  upon  tlienu^-  It  will  be-  sunicieut  Un  ihe 
purpose  of  tliis  Essay  to  consider  the  oil,  prescribed  in  the  law 
as  typical  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  without  whom  no  ofreiinjrg 
or  services  can  be  acceptable  to  the  Lord.  All  the  institu- 
tions of  the  law  have  a  voice  to  those,  i\)bo  have  ears  to  bear  : 
Nor  is  it  possible  to  believe,  without  an  equal  possession  of 
blindness  and  blasphemy,  that  the  wisdom  of  God  could  have 
descended  to  the  minute  detail  of  tlie  several  purls  and  com- 
positions of  what  should  be  accepted  o{  ychovnb  ;  unless  fome 
spiritual  dodlrinec,  some  sublime  and  evangelical  truths,  es- 
sential to  his  people's  salvation,'|-  were  intended  uiuler  tliesc 
emblems.  These  were  the  siniilitudesi  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, which  concealed  the  mysteries  of  tic  kingdom^  that,  like 
the  parables  of  the  New  Testament,  were  only  to  be  known 
by  those,  to  "j^boinit  nj^as  given.  Matth.  xiii.  lo,  ii. 

This  oil  as  we  have  said,  typified  the  HoJy  Ghost,  in  wliom 
and  by  whom  all  or/erings  were  to  be  made  to  Jebovab.  Nor 
did  Christ,  the  bigb-pricst  of  our  profession^  present  the  dig- 
nified obhition  of  himself  as  the  sacrihce  for  his  people,  with- 
out this  boly  oil:  For  it  is  expressly  written,  tbrougb  tbc  E- 
TERNiSL  Spirit  he  offered  bimself 'ujitbout  spot  to  God.  Hcbr. 
ix.  1 4.  Thus  GoD  ^jjas  in  Christy  reconciling  tbe  Rvorld  to  bim- 
self  &:c.  And  thus  is  spiritually  fulfilled  the  testimony  of 
the  prophet,  concerning  tlie  people  of  God  ;  tbe  burden  [of 
the  enemy]  shall  be  taken  aivayfroin  ojj^ihy  shoulder^  and  bis 
yoke  from  ojftby  neck^  and  tbe  yoke  sbailbe  destroyed  bi'.cause 
OF  THE  ANOINTING.^     Tlic   same   eternal   Spirit^  by    whom 

*  Mede's  ivorks,  Disc.  ii.  p.  234,  kc. 

t  The  excellent  V/itsius  hath  made  the  like  observation.  '^  The 
intention  of  the  ceremonies  v/as,  that  they  mi;^ht  be  tlic  figures  and 
shadows  of  spiritual  thiiigSs  and  that  they  mii;ht  conllnuullv  exhi- 
bit a  picture  of  Christy  and  of  the  j^race  introduced  by  him.  And 
certainly  this  was  a  most  happy  privikdge  to  the  Jews,  that,  when 
God  delivered  all  the  myst^iries  of  salvation  by  parables  and  types, 
they  should  have  these  representations  of  the  divine  mercy  and  of 
the  promised  Saviour  constantly  before  their  eyes.  Especially  loo, 
as  by  patriarchs,  prophets  and  other  teachers,  they  were  instruct- 
ed in  their  spiritual  import,  after  the  manner  of  that  dispensation." 
JEgypt.  L.  iii.  c.  14. 

\  Thus  the  book,  the  title  ofv/hich  is  translated  /.rot-t'r*^^,  might 
have  been,  with  perhaps  greater  propriety,  rendered  simHitudcs, 
They  are  not  an  indigested  mass  of  moral  precepts  only  ;  but,  un- 
der the  piaure  of  sensible  ol>jec\s,  they  were  intended  lo  convey 
manv  rich  delineations  of  spiritual  grace  to  the  mind. 

S,  Is.  X.  27.  Literally  rendered  it  is,  before  the  face  of  the  oil, 
Th.is  hath  been  well  expounded,  and  by  Joihiilurn  the  Ouddecioo, 
*'  thou  shalt  be  delivered  through  Christ,  in  whom  the  Spirit  of 
Jehovah  rests,  because  he  hath  anointed  him."  Roberts.  Jhs. 
in  inn;. 


336  O  I  L     o  F     G  L  A  D  N  E  S  S. 

Christ  offered  up  himself,  descends  through  him  upon  his  peo- 
ple, enabling  them  to  be  conquerors  and  more  than  conquerors 
over  their  enemies, and  likewise  to /^rej-fw/  their  bodies  a  living' 
sacrifice^  holy  and  acceptable  unto  God.  Rom.  xi.    i. 

As  the  oil  represented,  sometimes,  t\\Q person  of  the  Spirit; 
so,  sometimes,  it  preached  the  {graces  of  the  Spirit.  In  con- 
descension to  liuman  capacity,  he  appears  to  have  taken  this 
comprehensive  emblem  ;  and  through  the  medium  of  the  out- 
ward sense,  (which  is  the  usual  method  of  the  Scripture)  to 
affect  the  intelledl  of  man. 

The  ancients  made  much  use  of  oil  to  beautify  their  per- 
sons. In  the  Psalms,  we  read  of  oil  to  make  Juan's  face  to 
sbinc.  Ruth  anointed  herself  for  decoration,  Ruth  iii.  3. 
and  the  women  of  Tekoah  and  the  prophet  D^m/f/ omitted  the 
use  of  oil  for  the  contrary  reason.  2,  Sam.  xiv.  3.  Dan.  x.  3, 
The  custom  is  also  mentioned  in  Matth.  vi.  17,  Luke  vii.  46. 
On  this  account,  the  holy  oil  is  the  figure  of  that  beauty  of 
holiness^  which  the  Spirit  of  God  puts  upon  his  people,  and 
by  which  they  are  enabled  to  worship  him,  according  to  his 
own  will,  in  spirit  and  in  truth.  Thus,  when  the  psalmist 
prays,  that  the  beauty  of  the  Lord  our  God  might  be  upon  the 
church,  it  is  as  if  he  had  said,  '^  Let  the  holy  oil,  whose  unc- 
tion aftordeth  all  the  beauty  of  holii^.ess,  endue  their  souls 
with  his  sanclifying  power."  The  oil  signified  holiness  ,-  the 
application  of  this  oil  to  believers,  or  the  Holy  Spirit's  ope- 
ration upon  them,  constitutes  the  beauty  of  holiness :  And 
when  they  have  done  with  the  i^ile  body  of  sin ^  they  shall  be 
most  perfe6Lly  beautified,  by  a  complete  transformation  into 
the  very  image  and  likeness  of  Christ  Jesus  in  all  things. 

Joy  was  also  denoted  under  this  sacred  emblem  of  o//.*  It 
was  therefore,  in  peculiar  reference  to  this  grace  of  the  Spi- 
rit, called  by  the  prophet  the  oil  of  joy  ^  Is.  Ixi.  3.  and  by  the 
psalmist  the  oil  of  gladness.  Ps.  xlv.  7.  The  Spirit,  as  God, 
is  not  only  Joy  hiw^stU  essentially,,  and  so  called  Ps.  xliii,  4. 
but  the  cause  and  communicator  of  it  to  the  redeemed.  Thus 
it  is  said  to  believers,  tiiat  they  received  the  word  in  much 
[outward]  .7^^//Vz/o?2,  ii)//Z?  Joy  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  i  Thes?. 
i.  6.  and  the  first  disciples,  that  they  nuex^e  filled  with  joy  and 
THE  HOLY  Ghost.  Acls.  xi',  52.  The  kingdom  of  God\s  al- 
so said  to  he  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  Rom,  xiv.  17.  All  which 
demonstrates  both  the  nature  of  his  being,  which  muse  be 
omnipotent  thus  to  iniluence  and  reign,  and  the  kind  of  office 
assumed  by  him,  which  is  to  make  glad  X.h^  city  of  God. 

This  spiritual  oil  also  induceth  liealth  and  strength.  Now 
be  (says  the  apostle)  which  stablisheth  us  with  you^is  Christy 
and  hath  anointed us^  is  God.  2  Cor.  i.  21.  Jehovah  the  Spi- 
rit/V  the  saving  strength  of  his  anointed;  and  He  alone 
slrengtheneth  them  %vith  strength  in  their  souls.     'Tis  lie  who 


OIL  or  GLAD  N  L  S  S. 
Mtrengthcns  item  iviil  inigbt  in  the  inner  vwn  :  And  surely 
can  such  a  blessing  conic  tVoni  any  oiu;  less  than  Ooil  r  If  God 
be  the  strength  o{  his  people  ;  surely  thai  Si'irit,  who  quick- 
ens tiiem,  and  in  whom  tiiey  1/vc^  and  ^uit^  ami  lualk,  and  arc 
led,  can  be  none  else  than  that  Almighty  strength  in  es- 
sence, or  Jcbcvab,  working  upon  them,  and  dividing  his  rifts 
severally  as  He 'vjill.     iCor.  xii.  ii.  ' 

We  have  already  considered  oil  as  one  great  mean  of  all 
gro'd^tb,  and  consequently  o^ fertility,  in  the  vegeta])le  world. 
The  Lord  the  Spirit  employs  the  iiiuigc  of  oil  to  intimate  the 
similar  effed  of  his  grace  in  the  spiritual  v/orld.  My  'well- 
ifehved  (s:ul\\  the  Lord,  speaking  by  the  prophet)  batb  a  vinc- 
y^ird  in  a  very  fruitful  bill,  or  (as  i't  is  literally  rendered  from 
the  Ilebrew  in  the  margin)  in  the  born  of  tbe  son  of  oil.  Our 
translation  has  given  the  effect,  but  omitted  to  express  the 
cause,  Christ's  vineyard,  or  church,  is  up^n  a  hill,'  yea,  tte 
hill  of  Zion  itself;  but  \ls  fertility  is  from  Him,  who'  giveth 
strength  to  the  faint,  and  supplietb  every  spiritual  nutriment, 
whicli  shall  turn  to  the  salvation  of  his  people.  Ph.il.  i.  19; 
Every  believer  in  Jesus  is  a  fruit-bearing  branch  of  the  spi- 
ritual vine.  He  is  not  like  the  cypress  tree,  to  wliich  Poo- 
cion  compared  a. vain  and  wordy  orator,  having  indeed  much 
pomp  and  beauty  in  its  form  and  appearance,  yet  bearing  no 
fruit  ;  but  abundant,  according  to  measure,  in  all  tbe  fruits 
of  righteousness,  %\)bicb  are  by  Christ  Jesus,  to  the  ghry  of 
God. 

The  use  of  oil,  in  cleansing  ihe  lepers  under  the  law,  is  ex- 
tremely significant  and  remarkable.  After  the  application  of 
the  blood  of  the  lamb  to  the  party,  in  the  same  places  was 
the  oil  to  be  applied  and  poured  on  by  the  priest,  viz,  on  the 
right  ear,  on  the  thumb  of  ihe  right  hand,  on  the  great  toe  of 
the  right  foot,  and  finally  on  the  head.  Here  appears  the  ef- 
fe6ls  of  the  gospel  in  signs*  The  blood  oi  Christ  is  applied 
first  to  the  ear  and  then  the  living  oil,  or  grace  of  the  Spirit, 
follows,  to  render  that  ear  open  to  receive  the  wordof  trutji. 
The  next  application  of  both  these  is  to  the  hatid,  that  it  may 
be  purged  from  dead  ijoorks  to  serve  tbe  living  God:  Tiitii 
to  they^f^,  that  they  may  be  sivift  for  obedience,  as  well  as 
cleansed  from  defdement:  And  lastly  to  the  bead,  that  tlie 
understanding  n;ay  he purijied ami  enlightened,  ami  the  wiiole 
Spirit,  as  well  as  body,  under  the  condu(:l  of  the  divine  Spi- 
rit, given  up  to  the  Father  through  Christ  Jesus.  Tlie  appli- 
cation was  made  to  the  principal  parts  of  these  several  mem- 
bers, to  denote,  l)oth  that  these  included  the  government  of 
/?//  the  rest,  and  that  the  Lord  should  be  glorified  by  the  best 
faculties  of  hi.s  people. 

Oil,  and  the  cUve-trees  wliich  produced  it,  were  considcra- 
\}\q  branches  oi  the  riches  and  agriculture  of  Judea,     Thus 


333  O  I  L     o  r     G  L  A  D  N  E  S  S. 

Asber  was  to  dip  bis  foot  in  oil.  Deuc.  xxxiii.  24*     He  was  to 
be  rich  in  oil  and   olive-trees  ;  and  it  literally  came  to  pass. 
The  olive-trees^  and  eelhrs  of  oil^  formed  some  of  the  riches 
and  temporal  hlessings  of  David,    i    Chron.  xxvii  2^8.     And 
they  are  called  treasures  in  Jeremiab  xli.  8.  Oil  is  also  stat- 
ed to  be  a  part  of  the  trade  of  Jiidab.     Ezek.  xxvii.  17.  And 
what  are  those   riches^  or  (as   they   are  emphatically  styled) 
the   exceeding   riebes   of  grace ^   and  glory ^Tknd.  w/j-^'c/w,  and 
hw-ivledp-e^'cxud  goodness^  mentioned  concerning  God  ;  but  the 
graces  and  elTusions  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  oil  of  salvation, 
conferred  upon  his  people's  souls  ?     'Tis  through  him  only, 
and  his  liberality    of  flowing,  that  they  become  rich  in  faitb, 
and  in  good  'ujorjis,  preparatory  to  their  enjoyment  of  the  full 
riches  of  his  salvation.     His   graces  are  those  bidden  riebes 
(as  the  propliet  is  led  to  style  them)  by  which  they  kno%v  the 
Lord,  Is.  xlv.   3.   and  which  the  world  doth  not  sec,  nor  can 
see,  because  the  wisdom,  which  gave    them  forth,  as  well  as 
the  wisdom  v/iiich  is  in  them,  is  an  biddeji  wisdom  ordained  of 
Qod  before  the  ivorld for  bis  people'^ s  glory,    i  Cor.  ii.    7.     All 
these  treasures  of'msdom  andkno'vjledge  are  bid  in  Cbrist  ;  and 
therefore,  r/L't'  Spirit  takeib  of  tbe  tbings  of  Cbrist  and  sbewetb 
ibem^o  his  redeemed.   Col.  ii.  3.  and  John  xvi.  15.   Thus  it  is, 
tnat  believers  become  ricb  and  wise^  at  once,  unto  salvation. 

Under  the  Jewish  dispensation,  if  not  tlie  patriarchal,  cer- 
tain persons  and  things  were  consecrated  to  God.  by  libations 
of  oil.  It  has  been  upon  good  ground  believed,  that  when 
Jacob  anointed  the  stone  for  2i  pillar  with  oil  in  Betbel^  he 
ieceived  the  ordinance  by  tradition  from  the  fathers  of  his 
faith  as  well  as  of  his  flesh  ;  and  that  the  Lapides  B^tulii^^ 
or  anointed  stones,  among  the  heathen,  were  only  corruptions 
of  a  sacred  ceremony,  the  meaning  of  which  they  had  either 
lost  or  misapplied.  They  thought,  indeed,  that,  in  conse- 
quence of  tlieir  consecration  by  oil,  a  power  or  virtue  took 
possession  of  the  image  or  stone  if  but  they  apprehended  no- 
thing more  than  the  invisible  power  of   some  of  their   gods, 

*  Sec  enough  coricerning  these  in  Stilling  fleet's  Origines 
Sacra.  B  iii.  c.  v.  • .  10.  and  the  authorities  he  cites  in  the  margin  ; 
Avhh  Gale's  Court  of  the  Gentiles.      Part   1. 

tARNOBius,  who  had  been  a  Gentile  philosopher  and  rhelori- 
c'lan,  and  was  convened  to  the  Christian  fahh  about  the  year  300, 
humbly  confesses  ;  Venerabcr  {0  cxcitas  !  )  nvper  simt:lachra  modo  ex 
fornacilus  prompta^  picturas^  veicrnosis  in  arborikts  ianias  ;  Ji  cuando 
conspextrarn  lubriculum  h-picUm,  kexolivi  unguine  ornatum,  tar- 
quam  incsset  vis  prscsens,  «f/»/i:/'^/r,  ajfabar.lif  bencjicia  poscebam  nihil 
sentiente  de  trunco.  Adv.  (lent.  L.  i.  The  learned  Self  en,  in  the 
Prolegomena  and  first  Syntagmih  c.  2.  of  his  treatise  c/c  I;y>  5jr;j, 
hath  discussed  this  suhjecc  with  his  usual  ability. 


OIL     OF     G  L  A  1)  N  K  S  S.  ^yj 

or,  at  most,  some  ph)  sical  virtue  frju  tlic  heavens.  AV'hat- 
ever  was  consecrated  to  God  under  the  law  (as  the  taberna- 
cle and  all  its  utensils  were)  by  the  solemnity  of  anointing 
with  oil,  could  never  afterwards  be  engaged  out  of  his  service 

•without  profanation.      Lev.  x.  7.   E^od.    xxix.    i,   zi,  33. 

All  this  plainly  intimates,  tliat  those,  who  me  ;»ii..iiitcd 
priests  uniQ  God  (;is  all  true  believ^ers  are)  by  the  Holy  Spirit 
are,  like  their  head  Christ  Jesus,  const'crated  for  vvcrmorc, 
Hebr.  vii.  28.  The  ,f^/fts  and calihifr  nf  (iol  arc  witboitt  re- 
pentance. Having  given  to  r/6j /6(;/;-j  oj  salvation  the  earnest 
of  their  inheritance^  this  gracious  and  almighty  Spirit  v.ill 
not  suiFer  them  to  be  wronged  of  the  purchaseJ  possession. 
The  anointing  oil  of  Jehovah  is  upon  them^  and  they  shall  re- 
main in  his  true  tabernacle  for  evei-. 

If  these  things  be  so,  O  Christian  ;  is  not  this  Holy  Spirit, 
most  significantly  entitled.  The  oil  of  (;LADNi:.is  ?  Doth 
not  the  beautiful  name  most  pointedly  describe  tlie  bountiful 
elle6ls  of  his  love?  And  hast  thou  not  joyful  comniunion  with 
him,  at  times,  in  all  these  benignities  of  his  otlice  I  Yes  ;  as 
surely  as  thou  art  a  Christian.^  thou  hast.  Thy  very  name, 
as  well  as  the  name  of  thy  master,belongs  to  thee  only  for  this 
cause.  He  was  called  Christ  on  account  of  this  unclion  ;  and 
thou  art  a  Christian^  only  by  partaking  of  this  undion  thro* 
him. 

If  thou  hast  this  oil  of  gladness  poured  forth  upon  tiiy  soul, 
the  consequences  of  it  will  appear  throughout  thee.  Like 
the  leaven,  which  our  Lord  speaks  of,  it  will  leaven  the  v/hole 
lump  ;  and  thy  whole  body,  soul,  and  spirit,  will  feel  its  sanc- 
tifying power.  The  corruptions  of  the  outward  man  shall  be 
subdued  and  purged  ;  the  aiTections  of  the  heart  shall  be  pu- 
rified and  guided  to  their  proper  obje6l,  and  the  intelleOlion 
of  the  mind  ilhiminated  and  extended  for  a  more  ample  appre- 
hension of  God.  It  will  mollify  what  is  hard,  even  the  stone 
within  thee  ;  it  will  cleanse  what  is  d.filed ;  it  will  make  ho- 
ly, and  keep  holy,  unto  life  eternal,  thy  whole  man. 

This  sacred  oil  will  sniooihe  the  ruggid  roughness  of  evil, 
which  sin  hath  brought  upon  thy  soul  :  And  though  it  will 
not  wholly  irradicate  the  harsh  tempers  of  tlu.ic  earthly 
frame,  till  that  frame  be  dissolved  \  it  will,  at  least,  polish 
them  in  a  manner,  which  nature  can  never  do."*  Rudeness 
of  manners,  incivility  of  disi)osltion,  and  pronencss  to  mur- 

*  It  Y/as  the  advice  of  Dcmocritus,  *'  to  have  honey  within,  and 
od  without;"  by  which  the  laughing  philosopher  probably  meant, 
it  was  necessary  for  a  man's  wi-lfare,  to  have  t^ood  tempers  in  the 
heart  and  good  manners  in  the  life.  Christianity  says  nothing 
against  this  ?  but,  on  the  contrary,  most  powerfully  induces  it,  yet 
>yithout  ''  Sijnulation  or  Dissimulation." 


340  O  I  L     o  r     G  I.  A  D  N  E  S  S. 

muring,  not  only  indicate  natural  unhapplness^  but  yield  tocf 
sad  a  proof,  that  the  oil  of  ghdnt^ss  either  hath  not  been  pour-^ 
ed  forth  at  all,  or  in  a  very  low  degree,  upon  the  soul.  The 
Spirit  of  God  doth  not  make  men  boisterous  to  complain,  but 
patient  to  endure. 

There  is  a  frarrrance  in  this  holy  unclio:i,\v]iich  at  once  per- 
fumes as  well  as  gladdens  the  soul.  It  is  not  only  acceptable 
to  the  Most  High  in  itself,  as  coming  from  him  j  but  it  renders 
the  persons,  on  v/hom  it  is  poured,  an  offering  of  a  s'weet- 
smelling  savour  through  Christ  Jesus.  By  it  they  are  enabled 
to  coiYCeive  holv  thoughts,  to  speak  holy  words,  and  to  per- 
form holy  deeds  ;  none  of  which  are  they  able  to  do  by  their 
own  power.  Their  life  and  conversation,  in  proportion  ta 
their  enjoyment  of  the  heavenly  gift,  shall  yield  an  odour  of  a 
siveet  smelly  which,  like  the  box  of  ointment  that  Mary  be- 
stowed upon  her  Redeemer,  shall  fill  the  house  of  God,  and 
even  beyond  that  house  flow  out  to  the  sense  of  the  world.. 
All  men  shall  k7iow  the  disciples  of  Jesus,  by  the  discovery  of 
his  Spirit  of  love,  a6\uatirig  their  tempers,  their  language, 
and  their  lives.  Like  the  aromatic  oil,  which  was  poured  up- 
on Aaron;  this  precious  oil  of  gladness  will  diiFase  around  its- 
sacred  odours,  and  not  only  refresh  the  sense  of  him  that 
bears  it,  but  convince  the  sense  of  others  too,  that  indeed 
the  anointing  oil  of  the  Lord  is  upon  him.     Lev.  x.  7. 

O  how  great  then  is  the  privilege  of  those,  who  are  the  re- 
deemed  and  the  ransomed  of  Jehovah  ;  who  coine  and  sijigy 
b.?cause  they  are  so,  in  the  heigOt  of  Zion^  and  fow  together 
to  the  goodness  of  the  Lord^Jor  wbeat^  or  the  bread  of  life,  and 
for  ^ivine^  or  the  joy  of  his  salvation,  and  for  oil^  to  beautify 
with  holiness  ! — Their  souls  shall  de  as  a  watered  garden,  and 
they  shall  not  sorrow  any  more  at  alL     Jer.  xxxi.  11,  12. 

God  often  visits  with  his  gladness  the  souls  of  men.  How 
many  proofs  have  we  of  this  truth  handed  down,  by  the  most 
credible  witnesses  ?  Witnesses,  who,  in  the  hour  of  death, 
would  not  deceive  ;  and  witnesses,  who,  in  their  holiness  of 
life,  could  not  wish  to  delude.*  Yet,  greater  evidence  than 
even  from  these  arises  from  the  testimony  of  God,  and  from 
those  promises  of  consolation  and  joy,  which  he  never  could 
have  given  forth  in  vain.  But  in  vain  would  they  have  been 
given,  if  they  had  never  been  experienced  (according  to  their 
tenor)  by  gracious  souls,  at  times,  when  no  earthly  thing- 
could  have  c;iven  the  shadow  of  a  consolation.     O  what  ani- 


t)' 


*  See,  among  other  excellent  books,  Burnham^s  "Pious  memori- 
als ;"  Flcmitf:  on  "  (iod's  appearances  for  his  church  ;  '  and  "the 
tnump]\s  of  faith,''  published  at  Edinburglu  1767.  See  also  a  very 
strikin;^  account,  which  Mr.  Flavel  gives  of  a  Christian  experience, 
in  his  admirable"  Treatise  of  the  soul  of  man."  p.  338,  5^c. 


OIL    OF    G  L  A  D  N  K  S  S.  341 

mating  expressions  of  the  most  fervent  happiness  have  i:isucil 
forth  from  lips,  quivering  under  the  agonies  of  death,  and 
from  tongues  tremulous  in  the  struggles  of  departing  life! 
The  witnesses  for  Christ  have  testified  the  joy  oftbcir  Lord 
under  the  cruelest  strokes  of  their  persecutors'  rage:  And 
martyrdom  hath  received  half  its  honours  from  the  gladness 
and  alacrity,  v\<ith  which  it  was  endured.  The  accounts  of 
these  transa6lions  at  once  astonish  and  edify  the  mind, 
Far  unlike  the  apathy  of  stoical  piide,  or  tlie  brutality 
of  Indian  savagentss  ;  tlie  soldiers  of  C'dnist  met  death  as 
conquerors,  and  not  as  stocks.  No  sullen  gloom  pervaded 
their  spirits,  no  despair  of  life  ;  but  the  Oil  of  Gladness  lifted 
up  their  eyes  and  their  hearts  beyond  the  skies,  and  made 
tliem  sensible,  that  the  worst  nialicS  of  men  could  only  send 
them  home  the  faster  to  their  God.  Let  infidels  afleel  to  find 
parallels  to  these  among  infidels,  as  eagerly  as  they  can  ;  but 
there  is  as  much  difference  between  sufferings  endured  by 
grace,  and  sufferings  supported  only  by  nature,  as  there  is 
(to  use  the  lowest  comparison  worthy  of  the  subje6\)  between 
the  most  vivid  hope  which  can  fill,  or  the  most  hardened  un- 
belief which  can  stupify  the  human  niind.  The  expectation  jf 
a  Christian  upon  these  occasions  is  -jifulhuss  of  expectation, 
and  therefore  called  the  wXrj/jops^/a,  or  full  assurance,  which  pos- 
sesses &  animates  almost  to  real  enjoyment  his  awakened  souli 
but,  to  say  the  best  of  the  other,  it  is  a  mere  vacuity  from  ab- 
solute despair,  which  (as  in  the  d\  ing  emperor  yl<^r/^/.')  can  on- 
ly cause  the  heart  to  flutter  between  a  trembling  hope  and  dis- 
mal uncertainty.  Tlic  partition  betweeiW.Ac/<?  is  so  thin  and 
feeble,  that  it  totters  with  every  blast,  and  is  often  crushed  by 
the  full  weight  of  the  trial.  Even  Socrates  himSclf,  who  gave 
the  greatest  ex?mr)le  amono-  the  heathens  of  a  philosophical 
equanimity  in  death,  reasons  and  concludes  betore  his  judges 
with  an  apparent  doubt  upon  his  mind  of  a  future  csListencc, 
though  certainly  there  is  something  dignified,  and  to  be  admi- 
red in  his  courage  and  condu6t  which  couhl  back  him  so  far 
in  his  last  extremity.  We  may  deplore  *'  this  Homer  of  the 
philosophers"  (as  Plato  called  him)  and  hir,  admirer  Cicero^ 
that,  amidst  a  vvorld  of  ingenuity  and  the  honest  efforts  nf 
reason,  they  are  led  rather  to  an  anxious  expe(?\ation  of  a  fu- 
ture happiness,  than  to  a  rroch  hope  or  firm  persuation  about 
it.  All  certainty,  in  this  resped,  was  only  to  be  derived  thro 
the  [gospel.*' 

The  Christian's  joy  V.  a  joy  unspeahabl:  and  fidl  r,J  ^,csr\;. 
Reader,  ha$t  thou  never  found  it  so  ?  Hath  no  rivulet  of 
peace  flow^edinto  thv  heart  from  the  boundless  ocean  of  peace. 

U  u 

*  YiiU  Cic.  Tiisc.  Quwst.  5^  de  Scnea^^-^^'w- 


342  O.  I  L     o  r     G  L  A  D  N  E  S  S. 

Hast  thou  not  known  that  the  grace  of  God,  which  brlngeth 
salvation,  hath  brought  gladness  and  tranquility  too  ? — Yes, 
believer,  thou  hast  found  this  mercy,  and  tasted  indeed  that 
the  Lordis gracious.  Tho'  annoyed  by  distra6lions,  and  bro- 
I<en  at  times  by  interruptions,  through  the  calls  or  the  evils 
of  the  body  and  its  outwards  affairs  ;  still  thy  soul  pants  for 
the  enjoyment  of  this  blessing,  and  cannot  rest  without  the 
viewor  the  relish  of  it  within  thee.  Thou  hungerestandthirst- 
est  after  this  fruit  of  righteousness,  though,  on  earth  and  in 
thy  earthly  tabernacle,  thou  canst  not  be  fully  satisfied  with 
it.  "  The  highest  pleasures  (said  a  good  man)  of  a  gracious 
soul  in  the  body,  are  but  the  pleasures  of  an  uncentred  soul, 
which  is  still  gravitating  and  striving  forward,  and  conse- 
quently can  be  but  low  and  very  imperfe6t,  in  comparison 
with  those  it  enjoys,  when  it  is  centered  and  fixed  in  its  e- 
verlasting  rest.  They  differ  as  the  shadov/  [or  cessation]  of 
the  labourer  for  an  hour  in  the  day,  from  his  rest  in  his  bed 
when  his  work  is  ended."  And  yet,  faint  and  low  as  all  pre- 
sent views  and  enjoyments  of  grace  are  here  below,  compared 
with  tbc  fullness  of  Joy  at  God'^s  right-hand  ;  there  have  been 
instances,  where  the  communication  of  divine  love  has  been 
almost  too  much  for  nature  to  sustain.  But  these  have  usu- 
ally been  upon  some  great  occasions,  either  upon  leaving  the 
world,  or  upon  suffering  for  Christ  in  it,  where  it  has  been  ex- 
pedient for  the  glory  of  God  and-  the  edification  of  his  peo- 
ple, that  such  testimonies  of  his  presence  should  be  declared. 
However,  there  will  be  enough  of  this  at  all  times  to  shew 
the  truth  of  God's  promise,  that  light  is  soix)n  for  the  righte- 
ous^ and  gladness  for  the  upright  in  heart.  Ps.  xcvii.  1 1.  In 
other  words,  that  v/here  Christ,  the  trueliglit,  descends  upon 
the  soul  ;  the  Holy  Spirit  will  cause  to  spring  up  those  re- 
turns of  joy  and  praise,  which,  like  the  incense  upon  tlie  al- 
tar, shall  ascend  for  a  sweet'S?nelling  savour  before  the  throne 
of  the  Highesi. 

Happy  believer  ;  didst  thou  know  thy  own  privileges,  or 
couldcst  thou  walk  in  the  constant  sight  and  sense  of  them  ; 
rothing  upon  this  poor  earth  would  much  or  long  perplex 
thee.  Like  a  traveller  near  the  end  of  his  journey,  thou 
wouldst  patiently  bear  the  dust  and  dirt  of  the  road,  upon  the 
view  of  thine  heavenly  mansion,  and  thy  almighty  Father  rea- 
dy to  bless  thee  there.  'Tls  this  which,  by  divine  aid,  liath 
ever  borne  up  the  souls  of  the  faithful  in  past  triiils,  worse 
probably  than  ever  will  be  thine  ;  and  'tis  this  which  must 
support  thee  also  in  the  least  as  well  as  gieatest  difficulty,  or 
alike  it  will  be  far  too  much  for  thee  to  bear.  The  realiz- 
ing views  of  these  things,  not  the  mere  speculations  upori 
them,  render  the  heart  truly  magnanimous  in  encountering 
the  evils  of  life  or  of  death  j  and  the  grace,  which  shews  thei© 


O  I  L     o  F     G  L  A  D  N  E  S  S.  3^3 

things,  gives  the  Christian  that  nice  sense  of  honour  and  du- 
ty, which  would  incline  him  to  all  that  is  riglit,  ihough  nei- 
ther men,  nor  angels,  nor  even  God  himself,  were  to  behold, 
'Tis  this  Spirit  of  faith,  dear  Christian,  which  must  enable 
thee  to  consider  thyself,  and  to  a6l,  as  a  stranger  and  pilgrim 
upon  earth  ;  not  the  hearing  only,  or  the  talking  only,  about 
it.  'Tis  this  oil  of  gladness^  which  must  anoint  thee  for  a 
higher  profession,  than  that  poor  miserable  one,  which  (alasl) 
too  often  obtains  among  men,  and  of  which  it  is  dillicult  lo 
understand,  whether  it  belongs  to  this  world  or  another.  O 
how  hard  is  it  rightly  to  discern  in  many  instances,  whether 
there  be  any  real  difference  between  some  who  profess  the 
truths  of  the  gospel,  and  others  who,  like  Gallio^ccirc  fcr  none 
of  these  things  !  The  believer,  as  Timothy  had,  should  desire 
to  have  a  good  profession  before  many  luitnesses — the  witnes- 
ses of  his  conscience  within  him,  of  the  world  abouc  him,  and 
of  God  above  him.  These  testimonies  he  must  have,  in  so.nc 
measure,  before  he  can  enjoy  that  quietness  and  assurance 
of  spirit,  which  are  the  general  and  genuine  result  of  them. 
A  meagre,  half-starved  soil  can  yield  only  wretched  and  des- 
picable fruits  :  Nor  can  the  eflec^  of  a  mean,  half-carnal  pro- 
fession rise  above  itself,  or  produce  aught  at  best  but  a  pitia- 
ble poverty  of  joy.  ''  Wouldest  thou  have  comfort  in  thy  mis- 
ery (said  a  very  learned  and  good  man,)  wouldest  thou  have 
joy  in  all  thy  sorrows,  wouldest  thou  find  rest  in  the  greatest 
troubles  of  thy  life,  wouldest  thou  entertain  death  as  a  mes- 
senger of  joy,  woyldest  thou  welcome  the  Lord  Jesus  at  his 
coming?  O  labor  then  to  make  thy  election  sure  ;  never  cease 
till  thou  hast  gotten  the  seal  and  earnest  of  thy  salvation  ; 
renounce  all  kinds  of  peace,  till  thou  hast  found  the  peace  of 
conscience;  discard  all  joy,  till  thou  feelest  the  joy  of  the 
Holy  Ghost."*  O  then,  pray  for  vigor  of  grace,  or  that  /cr- 
vency  of  spirit  in  serving  the  Lord,  which  shall  ever  draw 
down  with  it  a  glorious  superiority  over  the  world,  and  a 
sweet  approximatioiTi  cjf  soul  to  God  and  the  redeemed  in  glo- 
ry. In  a  word,  ask  to  live  like  a  Christian  ;  like  a  man,  who 
\ndQQ(Xhath  the  heavenly  unction,  who  is  thus  a-kin  to  Christ 
and  to  God,  and  who  both  //  and /W'/j  himself  really  to  be  a 
citizen  of  heq-ijcn, — Ask  and  receive,  that  thy  joy  may  be  ful* 
Thy  dear  Saviour  means  nothing  but  kindness  and  joy  for 
thee  ;  and  if  thy  cup  were  more  emptied  of  other  things,  it 
would  be  made  to  run  over  with  his  love.  Thou  art  privi- 
leged not  to  glean  like  Ruth,  in  the  field,  or  the  vintage  ;  but 
to  gather  the  whole  ripe  shocks  and  precious  fruits  of  thy 
Father's  blessing.  Why  then  wilt  thou  crawl  and  creep  ; 
when  thou  mayest,  as  with //jc  «iy/«^j  5/ ^^j;Wc'/,  rise  up  and 
%Q,ix\     Why  study  hard,  and  labor  much,  upon  a  little  dirty 


344  CONCLUSION. 

clod  ;  when  the  Ktherlal  mansions,  the  whole  universe  of  the 
blessed,  may  be  thy  glorious  contemplation  and  felicity  ?  O 
that  this  wisdom,  and  dignity  of  grace,  precious  soul,  may  be 
more  and  more  thine  !  Canst  thou  not  join  in  this  prayer  for 
tbysflf^  which  an  unworthy  stranger  ardently  offers  up  for 
thee  1  Art  thou  not  willing  to  mingle  this  gracious  joy  with 
one,  whose  soul  burns  that  thy  soul  and  his  may  participate 
together  the  felicity  of  God'' s  chosen^  and  the  riches  of  the  glory 
of  bis  inheritance  !  O  that  heart  might  thus  answer  heart, 
and  be  more  spiritually  alive  to  this  grace,  that  the  commu- 
nion of  saints  below  may  more  perfe6lly  imitate,  as  well  as 
forerun,  the  communion  of  saints  above  I 

1.  Come,  thou  Oil  of  Gladnss,  shed 

All  thine  energy  divine  : 
Bid  each  faithful  heart  and  head 
In  thy  sacred  love  combine. 

2.  Come,  thou  Oil  of  Gladness,  pour 

Gracious  joy  on  all  around.* 
Make,  full  fraught  with  heav'nly  lore, 
All  in  heav'nly  hope  abound. 

3.  Come,  thou  Oil  of  Gladness,  come, 

Shed  abroad  thy  reigning  grace  ; 

Fit  thy  kings  and  priests  for  home, 

Girown  them  with  eternal  peace, 


CONCLUSION. 


SEVERAL  other  titles  and  ascriptions,  belonging  to  the 
HOLY  SPIRIT,  occurred  to  the  author  in  proof  of  his 
divinity  ;  such,forinstance, as  Witness,  Gift, Guide,  Spirit 
of  Burning,  Spirit  of  Judgement,  Rest,  Spirit  of  Glory, 
&c,  but  the  size  of  the  volume  vy^ill  not  admit  of  any  further 
enlargement.  It  is  humbly  conceived,  however,  that  the 
many  testimonies,  wliich  have  been  already  submitted,  under 
the  preceding  names,  do  illustrate,  according  to  the  measure 
and  manner  of  the  human  capacit)',  some  of  the  essential 
glories  of  the  F/eernal  Spirit,  both  in  his  divine  nature^ 
person^  and  offices.  The  evidence  from  the  Scriptures,  both 
positive  and  collateral,  appears  as  full,  clear,  and  convincing  ; 
as  it  is  possible  for  the  mind  of  man  fairly  to  require,  or  his 


C     0     N     C     L     U     S     I     ()     K.  j^. 

understanding  to  receive.  Thougli  tlic  point  ir.oiiud  on  be 
not  in  its  essence  an  oh']G€i  oi  sense  or  mt/vial  jnrccjjtion^  and 
cannot  be  such  from  the  pure  spirituality  of  lis  nature;  yci 
it  has  been  shewn,  that  God  the  Spirit  lias  given  Ltstinjony 
to  this  point  by  some  proofs  that  have  even  reached  ihc 
senses,  and  by  circumstances,  which  might  impress  iheni  with 
the  most  happy  and  lively  demonstration  of  his  being  and 
presence.  He  hath  indeed  left  all  men,  who  liave  his  word 
in  their  reach,  without  excuse  for  unbelief  concerning  him- 
self ;  and  they  have  no  subterfuge  in  this  case  from  any  dif- 
ficulty in  his  revelation,  which  is  clear  enough  here  ;  but 
must  recur  at  once  to  their  own  corrupt  and  positive  dislike 
of  its  authority,  or,  not  being  able  to  overthrow  or  get  rid  of 
this,  must  take  shelter  (as  too  many  in  all  ages  have  done) 
under  some  wilful  perversions  and  sophistications  of  the  di- 
vine record.  But,  admitting  this  record,  to  be  truc^  and  per- 
mitting it  to  speak  its  own  genuine  sense  in  harniony  and 
analogy  with  itself  (which  is  allowed  in  all  other  writings  ;) 
the  dodlrine  of  its  Author's  divinity  is  true  also,  and  from 
the  record  is  proved  to  be  so.  On*  the  other  hand,  if  that 
book  can  be  demonstrated  to  he  false  in  principle  or  authority, 
and  so  is  an  audacious  imposition  upon  the  world;  it  is  readi- 
ly granted,  that  there  is  and  can  be  no  othl.i  proof  of  this 
subjc6l,  and  that  all  the  miracles,  or  sensible  evidences  of  it, 
and  all  the  internal  operations,  either  j)romised  or  received, 
which  are  the experi?nental  tvidancijis  ;  are  equally  lies,  dreams, 
and  delusions.  It  will  be  further  granted,  in  that  case,  that 
we  are  exa6lly  in  the  situation  of  all  the  iieathens,  antient 
and  modern  ;  that  there  is  no  assurance,  or  evidence,  of  any 
one  thing  in  the  world  ;  that  we  live  without  present  hope, 
and  must  die  without  future  end  or  purpose  of  being.  It 
shall  be  added  too,  and  must  be  added,  that  there  is  neitlier, 
sin  nor  goodness,  neither  religion  nor  irreligion,  neither  hea- 
en  nor  hell  ;  and  that  all  those,  who  have  declared  these 
things  to  the  world,  in  the  shape  of  patriarchs,  prophets,  or 
apostles,  have  been  impudent  mountebanks,  who  have  played 
upon  the  hopes  and  fears  of  mankind,  for  the  advancement  of 
their  own  designs.  It  will  be  allowed  also,  in  this  train  of 
consequences,  that  Christ  and  3Iabomet  are  quite  uj)on  4 
level,  and  equallv  detestable  impostors  ;  that  Judas  Iscariot 
was  an  honest  fellow,  for  betraying  the  former  ;  and  that  all 
the  people,  called  martyrs,  were  a  set  of  stupid  and  inconsid- 
.  erate  simpletons,  for  believing  and  dying  in  the  cause  of  a 
crucified  malefactor.  In  one  word,  it  must  be  acknowledged, 
in  this  view  of  things,  that  there  is  no  hope  in  life  or  in  death, 
that  we  are  bewildered  in  the  chaos  of  our  own  imaginations, 
find  that  Lucretius,  and  Kobbes,  and  such  like  men,  were  per- 


346  CONCLUSION. 

fe6lly  right,  in  attempting  to  banish  every  trace  of  religion^ 
as  mei'feniad  superstition,  from  the  face  of  the  earth. 

There  are  many  people  who  will  profess  themselves  shock- 
ed at  these  consequences,  jind  yet  do  not  see  that  the  prin- 
ciples, on  which  they  proceed  concerning  religion,  naturally 
and  necessarily  lead  to  them.  They  think  without  the  Bible, 
in  the  first  instance  ;  and  then,  in  the  next,  think  against 
it.  Nor  do  ^some  people  express  much  concern,  upon  the 
discovery  of  this  consequence  ;  but  call  their  method,  with  a 
peculiar  ease  and  confidence,  liberality  oj  sentiment  ^\\6.  free- 
dom of  inquiry,  Biit  if  those  fine  words  are  examined  to  the 
bottom,  they  will  be  found  to  merit  another  title,  and  will 
really  appear  to  be  only  looseness  of  principle^  and  scepticism 

universal.   The  first  point  they  begin  with  in  religion    is 

a  doubt  of  God's  truth  in  the  Bible  ;  forgetting  that  without 
this  truth  there  is  no  religion  at  all,  and  that  there  either 
must  be  already  such  an  infallible  rule,  or  there  never  can  be 
one.  It  the  rule  do  exist;  then  it  is  their  wisdom  to  follow 
it :  But  if  it  do  not,  then  all  the  men  in  the  world  could  not 
agree  to  compose  one;  a'nd  consequently  all  their  pretended 
inquiry  must  end  in  uncertainty  ;  litbat  zdiw  be  called  aii  end^ 
which  is  nothing  ;  or  that  can  be  good  logic,  which  has  no 
conclusion. However,  this  doubt  {s-Siy  they)  ought  to  be  sa- 
tisfied. And  'lobo  is  the  judge,  evidence,  and  counsel,  in  the 
matter  ?  Their  answer  is,  human  reason,,  which  after  all, 
they  must  own,  can  judge  nothing  concerning  spiritual  exist- 
ence. And  yet  the  Bible  deals  chiefly  in  spiritual  existence- 
If  reason  were  even  uncorrupt  and  undepraved,  which  it  is 
not ;  it  could  be  no  judge  in  this  case,  unless  it  were  infinite 
and  eternal ;  because  here  the  determination  is  to  be  upon  an 
infinite  being,  and  upon  eternal  concerns.  Of  course,  the  evi- 
dence it  can  produce,  or  the  counsel  it  might  bring,  being  a- 
like  depraved,  limited,  and  irregular,  stand  exa6lly  in  the  same 
predicament.  The  fallacy  of  these  people  is;  they  presup- 
pose, that  all  things  are  in  doubt,  and  that  therefore  there  is 
no  such  matLor  as  truth  revealed  ;  and  yet  absurdly  enough 
they  hold,  that  both  these  conclusions  of  their  own  are  to  be 
believed.  That  principle  in  man,  which  doubts,  is,  according 
to  them,  to  procure  evidence  out  of  itstlf,  in  order  to  convert 
itself  into  a  believing  principle,  or  rather  to  frame  a  believer 
in  nothing  beyond  it.  Tlie  sea  might  just  as  soon  make  itself 
div,  the  fire  emit  a  cooling  flame,  or  a  man  scoop  up  the  o- 
rcan  with  a  shell  ;  as  any  of  these  can  turn  this  Ethiopian  ' 
unbelief  into  the  fair  complexion  of  holy  faith.  Their  itch  is 
to  dispute  every  thing,  and  to  believe  nobody  but  themselves, 
who  own  at  the  same  time  that  they  know  nothing  with 
precision.  They  are  quite  sure,  that  nothing  is  true,  which 
is  not  agreeable  to  their  own  reason  ;  and  yet  often  thia  rea- 


CONCLUSION.  347 

son  doth  not  agree  icitb  itself  upon  the  most  trifling  subjccl* 
witlun  its  immediate  scrutiny  ■  but  it  pretends  to  hi  vcrv  cx- 
a6l,  liowever,  in  the  everhisting  concerns  above  it.  'I'hui 
our  reasoners  venture  to  go  on,  as  thougli  they  were  omnisci- 
ent beings,  who  could  see  tiirough  all  spiritual  and  abstradcd 
nature,  couUl  comprise  all  that  is  to  be  known  universally, 
and  could  determine  upon  the  whole  with  perfecl  judgment 
and  infallibility.  They  are  sceptics  towards  (iod,  but  the 
most  implicit  believers  in  themselves.  In  this  hii^h  senti- 
ment, they  determine  upon  what  angels  veil  their  jaca  to  be- 
hold^ with  an  air  of  importance  and  authority,  and  are  not  a- 
shamed  to  conclude,  that  what  they  themselves  know  not,  is 
and  must  be,  therefore,  unknown.  Their  sentiments  are  in- 
deed liberal^  diwA  their  inquiries  y>f?f  y  for  they  are  by  no 
means  limited  by  the  strait  line  of  trutb,  but  make  copious 
excursions  enough  in  the  regions  on  either  side  ot  it.  I'ruth 
is  too  low  and  tixed  a  subject  for  such  unfettered  specuUtists, 
as  disdain  to  take  any  settled  foundation;  but  love  to  soar  a- 
bove  all  certain  boundaries,  and  the  Harrow  apprehensions 
of  those  pitiful  mortals,  who  humbly  bjlieve  in  God: 
And  so. 


Ihey  spread  for  figbt^  and  in  the  surging  smoke 

Uj)  lifted  spurn  the  ground;   tbence  many  a  league^ 

As  in  a  cloudy  chair ^  ascending  ride 

Audacious  ;  but  thai  seat  soon  failings  meet 

A  vast  VACUITY.  Milton. 

But,  for  people  of  this  order,  these  imperfcdl  Essays  were 
not  designed.  Written,  as  they  are,  for  the  most  part,  with- 
out any  labored  attention  to  method  ;  they  are  calcidatcd,^ 
principally,  for  those  who  receive  the  Bible  as  the  truili  of 
God,  and  who  wish  to  be  more  truly  acquainted  with  it  as 
such  ;  and  for  some  others  likewise,  who,  not  weigliing  the 
sense  of  its  words  nor  tliat  analogy  of  principle  which  runs 
through  the  whole,  have  been  led  into  jierplexities,  which 
the  Bible  does  not  contain  in  itself,  but  which  have  bjen 
brought  to  it  by  the  false  reasonings  of  its  readers.  ^  That 
booC  indeed,  is  a  parable,  and  (according  to  Christ's  owa 
words)  intended  to  be  so:  consequently,  it  liath  its  mysteries, 
or  (if  the  world  will  call  it  by  that  name)  its  obscurities.  Ic 
is  no  shallow  composition,  but  contains  the"  words  and  ihs 
mind  of  God.  If  men  do  not  perfeaiy  understand  these 
ivords,  it  is  no  wonder  :  Thev  do  not  understand  the  most  ob- 
vious  and  most  ordinary  <u^crh  of  God.  And  k  is  the  less  to 
be  wondered  at,  because  it  is  expressly  said,  that  none  cjn 
anderstand  the  Scriptures  but  those  to  wi-jv;  it  is  given  ;  and 


348  CONCLUSION. 

tiie  very  apostles  understood  them,  only  according  to  that  dis- 
pensation.     Luke  xxiv.  45.     OF  course  it  will   follow,   that 
none  can  understand  themy}/r^;66'r  than  it  is  given^  This  mea- 
sure, or  bound,  also  must  rest  entirely  with  him,  who  imparts 
this  understanding  itself,  which  is  a  principle  superior  to  hu- 
man reason,  though  working  upon  and  by  it.   lleason  of  itself 
cannot  determine  in  spiritual  things  vjbat  are  truths, but  at  mest 
conceives  only  their  connexion  and  agreement :  But  the  gift  of 
spiritual  understanding  is  imparted,  that  reason  might  be  in- 
formed^ and  from  that  information  proceed,  in  a  manner  analo- 
gous to  its  nature,  to  combine,  conne6l, or  conclude,  not  its  own 
ideas,  but  ideas  from  the  word  of  God  as  the  ground  on  which 
they    are   to   be   raised,-and  which  the  Spirit  of  God,  as  the 
agent,  alone  raises    from  that  ground.     The  word  ii4elf  doth 
not   and  cannot  raise  ideas  truly  spiritual  and  divTae  :   as  we 
may  see  in  thousands  who  frequently  read  it,  but  to  whom  it 
is    a  book  sealed  impenetrably  :   Nor  does  the  Spirit  a6l  but  by 
the  word,  or  in  perfedl  concord  with  it.    '  So  that  here  is  the 
strongest  fence,    on  the  one  hand,  against  absurd  or  enthusi- 
astic reveries,  because   the  written  word  checks  all  fanciful 
excursions  and  all  idle  opiiiions  ;  as,  on  the  other  hand,  there  is 
the  fullest  implication  of  the  necessity  of  divine  grace,  to  help 
the   ignorance  or  check  the  infidelity  of  man.   Tiiis  grace  is  a 
gift,  afforded  accordingtothe  will  of  its  author,and  allotted  and 
diversified  with  respeclto  the  purposes  of  glory  and  salvation, 
which   are  to  be  brought  forth  in  his  people. — Proud  reason 
quarrels  with  this  ;  and  yet  vvithout  reason.     Grace  in  all  its 
l)arts   or  distin6\ions,  whether  of  holiness,  knowledge,  faith, 
&c.    is   the   donation  of  God  and  a  free  donation,  because  it 
could  not    be    earned  by  a  creature.      A  creature  might  just 
as  soon  earn  its  own  natural  life,  before  it  had  life.     It  must 
JirstVive^  then  act  ;   and  a  man  must  have  the  grace  or  faculty 
for    divine  knowledge,   before  lie    can  presume  to   know  the 
thins^s  divine.       1    Cor.    ii.  1  i.      The    jj:round   of  all  human 
error    is    in    the   fall  and  apostasy  of  our  nature  from   God  : 
and  yet  men  profess  to  think  anda6l,  as  though  they  were  not 
fallen.     They  advance  upon  this  mistaken  ground  ;  and  con- 
sequently, the  farther  they  push  their  conclusions,  or  specu- 
lations,  upon    divine   subjects,  the    wider  they  are  from   the 
truth  of  God,    and  it  may  be  added,  from  the  God  of  truth. 
Nor,    till    they   are    brought  back  to  see  this  origin  of  tlieir 
error,  an-d  are  enabled  to  keep  it  constantl)-  in'  sight,  can  they 
make  anycxcursioiis,  in  which  they  do  not  stray. 

The  Scriptures  are  entirely  written  upon  this  great  idea  of 
the  FALL.  They  keep  it  ever  in  view.  All  the  terms, 
with  vc-lation  10  man,  are  formed  upon  this  very  principle  ; 
the  combination  of  those  terms  into  fuller  detail  amply  ex- 
presses  it  ;  and   the  v/hulc  purpose  of  rcv;?latioa  proves,  en- 


C     O     N     C;    L     U     S     1     O     N.  349 

iotc^Sy  and  answers  it  as  a  I'lkSI,  wl^/ich  every  one  ofur.  may 
feel  within  ourselves,  and  may  see  but  too  many  evidences 
of  in  the  world  about  us.  Our  restoration  to  God,  and  his 
names  revealed  to  convey  the  means  of  that  restoration,  arc 
increasing  demonstrations  of  that  truth,  which  it  is  both  our 
duty  to  believe,  and  the  way  of  our  ha])piness  to  know.  All 
its  important  evidence,  taken  together,  will  be  found  to  gen- 
erate this  grand  conclusion  /  that  fullcnman  can  be  recovered 
to  God,  only  tbrougb  ibc  lo'jc  of  tbc  Fathkk,  tbc  rcchmpt'rj-.i 
oftbcSo'H^andtbcpO'iJeroftbL'  Holy  Ghost;  thuee  ^;l';;.v 
persons  in  one  and  tbc  same  godhead. 

This  truth  is  the  basis  of  the  Bible  and  consequently  of  all 
Christianity.  Remove  it,  and  they  both  fall  utterly  to  the 
ground. — God  only  could  plan  a  work,  which  should  ;^loriFy 
two  such  essential  attributes,  as  his  o\'j\\  justice  and  mercy y 
in  the  salvation  of  sinners.  Accordingly,  we  read  of  an  ever- 
lasting covenant  and  a  counsjl  cf  the  Godl^'ad  for  this  end. 
No  creature  could  make  an  atonement  for  his  own  sin,  and 
much  less  for  the  innumerable  sins  of  others  :  No  creature 
could  work  out  an  everlasting  righteousness  and  bring  it  in 
for  the  justification  of  even  himself,  and  much. less  for  ih;; 
justification  of  others  who  might  need  it  ;  since  alt  he  couid 
do,  it  would  be  his  duty  to  do,  without  remission,  and  to  the 
continuance  of  his  being.  Having  done  this,  he  mijht  justify 
himself y  but  not  others.  In  this  absence  of  all  created  help, 
we  find,  that  yehovab  was  to  reconcile  to  Jehovah  these  help- 
less fallen  creatures,  that  febovab  became  the  Redecnur  for 
this  object,  and  that  Lnmaniiel^  God  u'//-6  us^  took  that  wj;;..*, 
because  he  was  to  take  our  nature^  in  order  to  suffer  in  the 
behalf  of  his  people,  and  to  Julfil  all  righteousness  for  tlicm. 
It  was  impossible,  that  these  creatures,  Vvlioare  represented 
as  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins^  in  respec:!  to  spiritualWiM  \  ami 
enemies  and  aliens  to  God,  in  respecl  to  tlieir  ^Aj/rtv  after  il  ; 
should  change  themselves,  rene-jj  their  minds,  new-creute  the 
frame  of  their  spirits,  and  transform  themselves  front  darkness 
to  lights  either  by  will,  or  power,  or  conception,  of  their  own. 
They  were  as  incapable  of  all  this,  as  a  dead  carcase  is  ol 
restoring  itself  to  life,  or  of  performing  its  li\  ing  functions  : 
And  the  Scriptures  describe  this  to  be  exaclly  their  case.^ 
Upon  this  very  account,  it  was  necessary,  that  the  author  of 
all  life  should  restore  it :  And,  accordingly,  it  is  revealed, 
that  another  divine  person,  assuming  the  name  of  Spirit^  is 
the  \ery  spirit  of  life  for  this  purpose  ;  that  He  tcbtities  lon- 
cerning  Christ,  as  the  mediate  cause  of  removing  all  ioipedi- 
ments  and  glorifying  all  attributes,  in  his  life  and  death; 
and  that  He  himself  is  the  Comforter^  in  consequence,  to  sc- 
xiir:  every  blessing  to  the  redeemed,  by  giving  th'.ai  li*-v 
Vol.  II.  W  w 


350  CONCLUSION, 

grace,  lioliness,  and,  in  a  word,  by  seating,  teaching,  guiding^ 
and  preparing  them,  in  the  state  below,  for  a  sublime  and 
everlasting  inheritance. 

Here  we  see  a  perle6l  accordance  between  divine  revela- 
tion and  the  state  of  men,  an  unspeakable  suitableness  be- 
tween the  gracious  ofTices  of  the  divine  persons  and  the  wants 
of  sinners,  a  just  harmony  in  all  the  attributes  of  the  God- 
head and  the  ev-f;rlasting  salvation  of  souls.  The  whole  of  it 
is  grounded  upon  fa6ls  which  we  knov*',  and  upon  necessities 
which  we  feel ;  it  rests  upon  evidence,  which  reason  enjoys 
not,  and  doth  not  require,  in  other  cases,  even  the  evidence 
of  good  men  in  all  ages  ;  who  were  eye-witnesses,  ear-wit- 
nesses, and  heart-witnesses,  of  what  is  delivered  to  us  ;  who 
could  have  no  temptaiion  to  impose,  but  who  were  called  to 
die  for  their  testimony,  to  convince  us,  that  they  did  not  im- 
pose."^ And  if,  after  all  this,  we  think  the  matter  to  be  still 
a  subje6l  oi  free  inquiry,  or  of  uncertain  foundation,  like  a 
common  speculation  ,  we  become  like  those  fools,  who,  hav- 
ing a  chart  and  compass  and  the  testimony  of  seamen,  that 
have  seen  what  they  relate  concerning  a  distant  country, 
very  gravtly  threw  them  all  over-board,  and  profoundly  re- 
solve that  these  are  checks  upon  their  liberality  of  scntiinent 
andy>j(?  inquiry,  and  that  they  will  sail  on,  without  these  li- 
initations,  to  explore  an  unknown  world.  The  next  news, 
M'e  should  expeCl  to  hear  of  such  able  pilots,  would  be,  that 
they  were  cast^avvay,  or  gone  to  fathom  the  profound  below. 

All  the  other  do6lrines  of  the  gospel  are  links  in  this  chain, 

*  The  reader  will  find  this  kind  of  argument,  pursued  vith 
equal  strength  and  elegance  by  a  late  noble  author,  Avho  cannot  be 
suspi:6led  of  indulging  an  enthusiastic  credulity.  The  Gbs  eve  at  ions 
on  the  conversion  of  ^u  Paul,  ^vritten  by  the  frst  lord  Lyttleton, 
contain  an  admirable  defence  of  this  outwork  of  Christianity.  "  Is 
it  (says  he)  on  account  of  the  mysteries  in  the  gospel  that  tho.  facts 
are  denied,  though  supported  by  evidence  which  in  all  other  cases 
would  be  allowed  to  contain  the  clearest  conviction,  and  cannot  in 
this  be  rejected  without  reducing  the  mind  to  a  state  of  absolute 
scepticism,  and  overturning  those  rules  by  which  we  judge  of  all 
evidence,  and  of  the  truth  or  credibility  of  all  other  facis  ?  Eut  this 
;s  pi  .linly  to  give  lip  the  use  of  our  understanding  where  we  arc  able 
to  use  It  most  properly,  in  order  to  apply  it  to  things  of  which  it  is 
not  a  comp'jtent  judge.  The  motives  and  reasons,  upon  which  di- 
vine wisdom  may  think  proper  to  ac\,  as  well  as  the  manner  in 
which  it  acts,  must  often  lie  out  of  the  reach  of  our  understanding." 
This  is  reason  "  taught  reason,"  and  approved  by  divine  revelation. 
Jl/v  thoughts  are  not  your  thoughts,  neither  are  your  ti>ays  mjy  wajs, 
saith  the  Lord :  For  as  the  heavens  are  h'ghcr  than  the  earth,  so  are, 
my  ways  higher  than  your  ways,  and  my  thoughts  than  ycur  thcugl^* 

Is.  iv."8,  y. 


CONCLUSION. 

and  depend  in  perfedl  agreement  upon  each  oilier.  If  one  be 
taken  away,  it  is  no  longer  a  w/bo/t  ;  and  iir.  strcngih  is  vir- 
tually dissolved.  The  doctrine  of  the  divinity  of  iIk-  Iloi.v 
Spirit,  for  instance,  is  so  capital  a  link,  ihat,  let  it  be  once 
broken,  the  whole  system  of  Christianity  falls  to  the  ground. 
The  Bible  will  become  untrue  ;  and  all  that  is  contained  \\\ 
the  Bible,  a  confused  mass  of  idle  principles,  disjoined  fables, 
and  useless  narrations.  It  is  no  wonder,  therefore,  that  the 
enemy  of  souls  should  militate  in  all  ages,  very  particularly, 
against  this  essential  article  of  truth,  and  that  where  lie 
could  not  absolutely  deny,  he  should  attemj)t  lo  perplex,  coiw 
found,  and  pollute  it  ;  so  that,  from  this  very  pollution,  he 
might  gain  a  step,  in  some  favorable  time,  to  succeed  farther 
against  the  article  itself.  It  may  not  be  altogether  imper- 
tinent or  unprofitable,  to  look  back  and  see,  how  he  has  ma- 
naged this  matter  in  past  ages  ;  because  it  may  in  part  help 
us  to  the  apostolic  lesson  of  not  being  ignorant  of  Satan  s  Jt- 
viccs^  and  hence  be  the  means  of  guarding  against  thein.  We 
will,  therefore,  as  briefly  as  possible,  mention  the  chief  of 
those  dogmatists,  who  have  either  set  themselves  entirely  a- 
gaiuFt  the  Spirit's  divinity,  or  treated  it  in  a  manne;  which, 
though  covertly,  yet  essentially  undermined  the  do6lrine. 

The   man,  who  fancied  the  Holy  Ghost  was  to  be  bou'^bt 
for  vioncy^  was  the  first  upon  record,  since  the  Christian  a'ra, 
who    turned  blasphemer  against  him.     A  fit  instrument  was 
Simon  Magus  for  so  Foul  a  deed,  and  deserves  to  be  placed  at 
the    head  of  the  motley  corps,  who  have  enlisted  themselves 
into  the  same  service.     To  mention  this  poor  wretch's  asser- 
tions,   is   to    confute    them.     The  chief  of  these  were  ;  that 
Simon   himself  was   the   true  Messiah  or  Christ  ;  that  he  ap- 
peared at  mount  *V/;7^i  in  the  person   of  the  Father:   that  he 
came  in  the  reign  of  Tiberius  in  the  form  of  the  Son,  and  de- 
scended upon  the  apostles,  as  fiery  tongues,  in   the  person   of 
the    Holy   Ghost ;  that  the  world  was  not  made  by  God,  but 
by    angels;   that  there  is   no   resurrcL-lion    of  the   flesh  ;  and 
that  a  promiscuous  and  unlimited  commerce  with  women  was 
a  noble  part  of  Christian  liberty.      Licentiousness  of  this  sort 
is  a  com'mon  point  of  agreement  for  many  heretical  opinions. 
We  shall  only  observe  further  of  him,  that  he  was  contenipo 
rary  with   the  apostles  ;   propagated  his  opinions  in  Savart 
and  Palestine^  from   whence  they  had  a  rapid  fljw,  and^  tin 
he  was  the  common  father  of  that  prolific    brood,  whicii  un- 
der   the  names    of  SaheUianism,   Anti-trinltarianism,    M'Jnt- 
cbaism,   &c.  &c.   he,  for  a   long   time  after,   disgri-ceJ  ani 
troubled  the  church.    He  was  the  first,  who  broached  the  no- 
tion,  that  the  names  of  Fatber,  Son,  and  Spirit,  belonged  t# 
the  same  numerical /^cv/r?:?,  and,  of  course,  that  there  really 
is  no  Tviiiity. 


rt(t 
t 


-52  CONCLUSION. 

From  tills  corrupt  progenitor  arose,  in  the  next  century, 
among  many  others  who  advanced  all  sorts  of  opinions  and 
pra^lised  all  kinds  of  impurities,  Hermogenes  and  Prjxeas, 
The  first  denied  the  Trinity,  and  asserted  that  matter  was 
ccaeval  with  God.  He  was  Si  prfi'iter  by  trade,  and  a  pra6lical 
polygamist  :*  This  drew  upon  him  the  sarcasm  of  7ertullian 
las  painting  was  then  reckoned  an  improper  profession  for 
Christians,)  pingit  illicite^  nubit  assldue  ;  he  paints  without 
law,  and  married  without  end."  Praxeas  carried  on  the  opinion 
oiSimonMagus  respecting  the  trinity,  charging  all  Christians, 
who  worshipped  the  three  persons  in  the  Godhead,  with  the 
worship  of  three  Gods.  To  him  Tertullian  opposed  himself, 
with  his  uncommon  abilities  and  tartness,  and  gives  us  a  testi- 
mony thereby,  that,  in  his  time  (which  was  about  theyear  190,) 
the  church  expressly  worshipped  one  God  in  unity  of  sub- 
stance, power  and  glory,  and  the  three  persons  oi Father^  Son^ 
and  Spirit^  in  that  zintty.f  Praxeas^  in  fa6l,  seems  to  have 
teen  the  immediate  parent  of  what  was  afterwards  called 
Sabelliantsm, 

Ncetus  of  Smyrna^  however,  obtained  the  infamy  of 
being  immediate  master  to  Sabellius^  (and  according  to 
»ome  of  Praxeas  himself)J  and  of  inculcating  the  same 
opinions.     He    lived    about    the    beginning    of    the    third 

*  It  is  an  observation  made  by  Jerom^  and  repeated  by  many  o- 
thers,  that  the  principle  heresies,  which  ever  disgraced  religion  and 
plagued  the  world,  were  begun,  carried  on,  and  ended,  by  the  sup- 
port of  women,  or  for  the  sake  of  women.  From  the  Nlcoloitcns  in 
the  revelation  down  to  Bernerd  Ochin^  who,  soon  after  the  reforma- 
tion, setup  the  inexpedient  and  impratlicable  (not  to  say,  licenti- 
ous; dotlrjne  of  polygainy  ;  we  might  produce  but  two  many  instan- 
ces to  justify  that  observation.  The  mind  of  man  is  naturally  in- 
clined 10  pleasure  ;  and  when  it  finds  no  happiness  in  God,  or  hath 
lost  its  lu)ppiness  in  the  things  of  God,  it  roves  abroad  (like  the  un- 
clean spirit)  after  those  obje6\s,  which  are  most  adapted  to  the  con- 
stitution and  temper  of  its  owner.  It  will  easily  find  pleas  for  self- 
indulgence,  and  can  even  fancy  that  this  indulgence  of  the  fiesh  is 
not  unacceptable  to  God  ;  though  God  himself  hath  enjoined  the 
crucijixion  ofthejiesh',  nvith  its  ejections  and  hists^  and  though  the  in- 
dulgence of  these  hath  a  natural  and  dire6t  tendency  to  draw  the 
heart  from  God  &vAthe  things  c-z^oiv,  and  to  fix  it  on  the  creatures 
and  (7«  thir^irs  beneath.  See  1  Cor.  vii.  29.  Gal.  v.  24.  Rom.  xiii.  14. 
2  Pet.  ii.  IB.  Delicatus  esy  Christianv^  si  et  in  faculo  •voliiptatcm  cor.cv- 
piscis  ;  immonimium  stultus^  si  hoc  existivicsvoluptctem,  Tp'.rtull. 
de  spcct, 

t  Blacxmorf.'s  sumrr.cvy  of  Christian  antiq.  Vol.  i.  p.  59.  and 
many  oiher  authorities  frt)m  ancient  writers,  in  Sfanh.  1  hcoh  opsr. 
Voj.'iii.p.  1216,  &c. 

t  SrANi:.    Hist.  Christ.  ss:c.  iii.  p.  748, 


CONCLUSION.  353 

«entury.  His  disciple,  Sabcllius,  being  a  man  of  greater 
talents  and  capacity,  and  asserting  \hc  tame  opinions, 
consequently,  with  more  art  and  address,  obtained  then,  to 
be  called  after  his  name.  He  confounded  tlie  dislintlion  of 
persons  in  the  essence,  asserting,  that  they  were  names  of 
one  and  the  same  individual  being,  who  suffered  in  the  per- 
son of  Christ,  and  who  appeared  in  the  descent  upon  the  apos- 
tles. Hence  his  disciples  were  called  PatripasslnnSy  because 
they  maintained,  that  the  Father  endured  all  the  agonies  upon 
the  cross.  They  also  averred,  that  God  was  called  the  ra- 
ther in  heaven,  upon  earth  the  Son^  and,  when  he  put  forth 
his  power  in  tlie  creatures,  the  Holy  Ghost. — We  have  al- 
ready given,  in  the  former  volume,  a  short  confutation  of 
this  error,  which  has  a  tendency  to  subvert  every  doclrinc  of 
the  Gospel- 

Paul  of  Samosata^  soon  after  Sabdliii:^  though  they  difTcr- 
ed  in  other  points,  agreed  with  him  very  nearly,  if  not  en- 
tirely, upon  the  article  of  the  trinity.  They  both  denied  tiie 
personality  in  the  Godhead.  The  principal  difference  be- 
tween them  was  ;  Sabellius  asserted,  that  the  whole  God- 
head was  in  Christ  ;  and  this  Paul^  that  the  Saviour  was  a 
mere  man,  neither  co-eternal  nor  consubstantial  with  the 
Godhead.  Both  these  men,  as  well  as  some  of  their  late  suc- 
cessors, endeavored  constantly  to  puzzle  the  cause,  by  con- 
founding the  persons  with  the  substance,,  and  by  usin^  these 
different  terms  for  one  and  the  same  idea. 

In  the  next  century  (i.  c.  about  the  year  317  or  3  zo)  rprang 
up  the  famous  Arius^  and  drew  away  great  m.ultitudcs  after 
him.  He  neither  wanted  art,  learning,  nor  ambition:  And 
he  employed  these  (as  all  other  men  do,  who  have  not  grace) 
to  subserve  his  own  views  and  passions.  We  need  not,  how- 
ever, dnuelhipon  the  man  and  his  communication  ;  for  this  has 
"been  treated  of  by  a  variety  of  authors  :  It  is  sufficient  for  us 
to  mark  his  particular  error  concerning  the  divinity  of  tlie 
Holy  Spirit.  As  he  denied  that  the  Son  was  of  the  substance 
of  the  Father,  or  consubstantial  with  him,  but  was  a  creature 
snade  out  of  nothings  though  before  all  other  creatures  i  s.>he 
asserted,  that  the  Holy  (ihost  was  not  God,  but  creatfd  or 
produced  by  the  Son,  and  inferior  in  all  rcspcdls  to  him,  tiio* 
employed  by  him  in  the  work  of  creation.  'I'hus,  in  his  view, 
the  Holy  Spirit  was  the  creature  of  a  creature,  or,  in  more 
modern  language,  the  emanation  of  an  emanation.  Conse- 
quently, there  was  a  time,  when  the  Son  and  Holy  Spiri', 
had  no  existence,  and  a  rime,  when,  likt  the  merest  mai^gots, 
they  began  to  exist.  Those,  who  maintained  these  princi- 
ples, were  called  (by  a  wonderful  abuse  of  language) />Mrr  A- 
rians.  There  were  many  se(fls  of  them,  who  had  the  same 
common  parent,  but  who  distinguished  themselves,  however 


354  CONCLUSION. 

from  their  brethren  by  a  variety  of  names  and  opinions  in  this 
matter,  in  which  they  disagreed  as  well  amongst  themselves, 
as  with  the  orthodox.  Hence,  generally,  after  the  names  of 
their  several  leaders,  they  were  called  Aetlans^  EusebianSy 
Eunomians^^'  Anomfpuns^  Eudoxians^  Acacians^  Scmi-arians^ 
and  the  like.  The  most  prevailing  se6l  of  these,  and  the 
nearest  to  the  orthodox,  were  the  Semi-ar'ians^  who  main- 
tained that  the  Son  was  oixonxnos,  but  not  of^oaa-ios^  i.  e.  that  he 
was  of  like  substance  with  the  Father,  but  not  of  the  same 
substance  ;  that  he  v/as  like  the  Father  also,  in  'will  and  ope- 
ration^  but  really  different  from  him  in  nature  or  essence. 
The  same  they  believed,  for  the  most  part,  concerning  the 
Spirit.  Consequently,  they  must  hold,  either,  that  there  is 
but  one  person  in  the  Godhead,  called  the  Father,  and  so  the 
Son  and  Spirit  are  absolutely  creatures  ;  or,  that  there  are 
three  Gods^  of  three  different  substances,  who  have  only  the 
relation  of  a  likeness  to  each  other.  The  v/it  of  man  cannot 
devise  a  medium  between  these  two  :  And  let  a  man  take  ei- 
ther of  the  two,  he  will  be  sure  of  equally  contradi6ling  the 
Scriptures,  and  of  finding  himself,  one  time  or  other,  in  the 
wrong. 

/'i^o^/^wj-,  bishop  of  *SVr;72//.'W,  from  whom  came  the  Fhotini- 
ans^  asserted  (about  20  years  after  Arius{  that  Christ  w'as  a 
niereman^w'hhQUX.  any  being  till  lie  was  produced  of  the  virgin 
Mary^  and  that  the  Holy  Spirit  was  neither  God,  nor  a  per- 
son in  the  Godhead.  He  also  asserted,  that  the  names  of 
Father,  Son,  and  Spirit,  belonged  to  one  and  the  same  indivi- 
dual being,  and  that  the  same  numerical  person  took  those 
names  only  to  signify  some  particular  operations.  In  this 
©pinion,  he  followed  the  Sabellians.  He  wrote  elegantly  and 
ably  against  all  heresies  but  his  own,  and  is  said  to  have  been 
a  learned  and  eloquent  man. 

About  the  same  time,  lived  also  MacedoniiiSy  patriarch  of 
ConstantiKople  ;  a  v»^orthless  charadler,  and  fit  to  oppose  that 
gracious  Spirit,  v,^hosc  divinity  he  denied,  and  whose  influ- 
ences (to  say  nothing  of  his  principles,)  his  whole  condn6l 
proved,  he  never  felt.  He  was  one  of  those  worldly  priests, 
who  aim  at  nothing  but  riches  and  rank,  and  who  stick  at 
nothing  to  obtain  them.  If  men  were  to  follow  'Jerom''s  ad- 
vice  they  would  avoid  such  clerical   tradesmen,  and  scanda-» 

*  See  Eunomius's  confession  of  Faith  in  Cave's  Hist.  Lit.  In  this 
confession,  he  says,  "  the  Father  begat  the  Son,  net  according  to  his 
own  su5sta?:c^j  but  according  to  his  liv'//,  and  that,  afler\vards,i7ro^»:(7£v, 
he  made  the  Holy  Spirit  by  his  own  proper  authority  and  command, 
ind  yet  by  the  energy  and  a6\ive  power  of  the  Son.  '  A  little  below, 
he  calls  the  Holy  Spirit — *'  the  first  and  greatest  of  all  the  '■uorh  of 
Ihe  only  begotten." 


CONCLUSION. 

l(^iis  money-hunters,  as  they  would  the  pestilence.^  Mucedo- 
nms  was  at  first  a  Scmi-arian^  asserting  chat  the  Son  wag  of 
the  like  substance  hut  not  of  the  same  substance  vviih  the  Fa- 
ther, and  yet  not  a  creature.  When  \.hiz  fynrc  Arium,  who  ad- 
vanced him  to  tlie  chair  upon  the  murder  of  Paul  the  [rood 
found  he  was  not  purely  their  own  ;  they  drove  hiin  from^jt: 
And  then,  to  draw  away  disciples  after  himself,  he  set  up  a 
new  heresy,  or  rather  new-modelled  an  old  one.  Agreeing 
with  the  Setnl-arians  concerning  the  Son,  he  opposed  himself 
particularly  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  denied  him  to  be 
God,  or  a  divine  person,  or  even  to  have  any  person  or  sub- 
stance at  all  ;  maintaining,  that  the  Spirit  was  a  mere  creat- 
ed energy,  imparted  to  the  Son,  and  divided  among  all  orlicr 
animated  beings.  Hence  he  and  Iiis  followers  were  called 
nnvixxkij.xy(pi.  Fighters  against  the  Spirit  ;  for  the  censure  of 
whom  the  second  general  council  was  convened  at  Constantly 
nople^  in  the  year  384  ;  as  the  first  general  council  was  at 
Nice^  60  years  before,  for  the  condemnation  of  ^r/«/.| 

*  Negotiatorem   clericuni  iJf  exinope  divitem^   ex  ignobili  glon'osumf 

quasi  quanclam pestem  fage. Ignominia  omnium  sacerdotcm  est y  pro- 

priis  studere  divitiis. Delicatiis  ma^isier  est,  qui p/eno  ventre  ueje- 

juniis  disputat.  Saccrdotis  Christ i  as,  mens,  mar.usquc  concordcut.  Ili- 
ERON.  ad  Nepot. — liut  Christianity  is  "  improved"  (say  some)  since 
the  days  oi  Jerom.  Perhaps  others  will  ask,  in  nvlnn?  And,  perhaps, 
others  again  will  take  up  the  complaint,  sung  400  years  ago,  as  not 
quite  inapplicable  now : 

A  maxim  is  ad  minimum, 
Fix  hahet  unnm  Jiiium 
Religio  tam  sacrum, 
^li  pure  propter  Dominum 
Religionis  habitum 
Portare  videatur. 

This  doggrel,  to  the  extent  of  51  stanzas,  is  entitled  Piarrtvs 
Bernhardi  Westcrrodis  ;  and,  if  it  halh  no  other  merit,  it  has  the 
merit  of  being  a  Aviuiess  for  truth  in  that  dark  age,  the  Uth  cen- 
tury. It  is  mentioned  by  FL  lllyricusihc  author  of  the  T/j/wA;^* 
tcstiumveritatisy  and  preserved  at  full  length  by  Basi;i.ils  in  hia 
Sulpiiius  Delgicus,  p.    150. 

t  See  the  sum  of  these  and  other  councils,  digested  by  Barthoky^ 
mew  Carranza,  formerly  archbishop  of  Toledo,  Of  his  work,  it 
may  be  said,  that  it  will  give  a  protectant  reader  a  sunicient  idea  of 
the  several  councils;  and  of  the  author,  that,  being  suspeclcd  of 
inclining  to  protestanism,  he  was  imprisoned  by  the  inquisition,  and 
his  archiepsscopal  revenues  were  confiscated  to  the  kin- of  Spam. 
By  appealing,  indeed,  to  Rome,  he  saved  his  life,  but  not  his  sccj 
for  he  died  manv  years  after  in  a  private  station,  'i/n.unuj  says, 
he  knew  him  ;  and  that  his  learning,  integrity,  and  the  bolmess  ot 
his  conversation  were  such,  as  nikdc  him  worthy  of  h-i  di^^nity. 


35<^  G     O     N     C     L     U     S     I     O     N. 

Ill  the  fifth  century,  another  se6l  was  raised  against  the 
doclrine  of  the  trinicy,  which  proceeded,  in  a  great  mea- 
sure, upon  the  notion  oi Sabclllus.  The  professors  of  it  were 
called  TbeopascbltaCy  *•'  God  sufferers/'  or  Fullonlans^  from 
Fctt;r  F'ullo^  bishop  of  Antiocb^  their  leader.  This  tribe  as- 
serted, that  the  whole  trinity  suffered  upon  the  cross  ;  and 
therefore,  they  addressed  the  trisagion  or  doxology  to  Christ 
alone,  as  the  representative  of  the  trinity,  or  the  man  in 
whom  the  trinity  was.  With  respecl  to  the  person  of  Christ, 
they  came  very  near,  if  not  quite,  to  the  Eutycbians  or  ilfc- 
nopbysita^  who  so  confounded  his  two  natures,  as  to  repre- 
sent the  biiman  to  be  absorbed  in  the  divine,  and  to  lose 
thereby  its  own  proper  existence. 

About  the  end  of  the  same  century,  or  (according  to  Cave) 
at  the  very  beginning  of  the  next,  appeared  the  celebrated 
Jobannes  Grammaticiis,  called  Pbiloponus  from  his  constant 
study;  a  man,  v/ho  for  his  shining  talents  as  a  philosopher 
was  certainly  respe6lable,  but  who,  too  little  like  a  professor 
of  Christianity,  abused  those  talents  to  the  mean  purpose  of 
his  own  applause.  "■  TcrtuUian  (says  Cave  J  long  ago  justly 
observed,  chat  philosophers  in  the  church  have,  for  the  most 
part,  been  the  patriarchs  of  heretics."  He  had  studied  Aris- 
totle and  Plato  \  and,  like  Origen  with  many  others,  he  en- 
deavoured to  corrupt  the  simplicity  of  divine  truth,  with  the 
dogmas  of  the  schools  and  the  language  of  error.  Thus,  the 
scholar  is  as  liable  to  be  befooled  in  divine  things  by  the  sub- 
tleties and  jargon  of  human  science,  as  the  unlettered  man 
by  the  wrong  apprehensions  of  ignorance.  Neither  the  one 
nor  the  other  can  be  safe,  one  moment,  from  delusion,  but  by 
a  Vvfisdom  and  direction  very  superior  to  their  own.  Pbilopo- 
nus was  cheated  by  his  philosophy  to  believe,  th-jil person  and 
nature  are  the  same  which  was  the  common  confusion  of  the 
heretical  depravers  of  the  trinity  ;  and  he  was  hardened  in 
that  cheat  by  a  concern  for  his  own  glory,  and  the  pride  of 
not  yielding  to  an  adversary.  His  heresy  consisted  in  main- 
taining, that  in  the  trinity  there  are  tbree  substances  or  na- 
tures ;  and  yet  he  inconsistently  enough  urged,  that  there 
are  not  tbree  Deities  or  Gods,  But  this  consequence  is  una- 
voidable upon  his  hypothesis  ;  and,  therefore,  he  and  his  abet- 
tors were  not  unjustly  called  'ir/-/V/6i.'/V;j,  or  maintainers  of  the 
duclrine  of  tbree  Gods, 

See  Sleidan's  Com,  App.  p.  4S.  The  reader,  however,  should  be  ' 
cautioned  of  a  ilai^rant  error,  committed  in  the  ad\s  of  the  Laodicean 
council,  c.  35.  which  the  papists  have  entitled,  Be  his  qui  angulo» 
colunt,  instead  of  angelos,  and  which  would  otherwise  have  dire6\- 
Iv  opposed  their  creature-worship.  Carranza  has  followed  them  in 
his  Sum,  printed  in  15  52.  Theodorct  exposed  this  mistake,  acoord- 
ing  to  O. '?.'.'.*'•  V.  opa-a*  ft,  5C6, 


C     O     N     C     L     U     S     I     (>     N.  337 

yoacbimus  of  Calabria^  an  abbot,  who  flourished  about  ihc 
year  1200,  was  coiuleniiicd  by  the  Latcran  council,  H15,  for 
accusing  Petdr  Lombard^  the  famous  master  of  the  scnteiuci, 
of  asserting,  that  there  was  a  tjuatcrnity  rather  than  a  trini- 
ty in  the  Godhead  ;  because,  beside  tlie  three  persons,  of 
whom  one  begat,  the  other  was  begotten,  and  the  third  pro- 
ceeding, he  held,  that  there  was  a  common  essence^  neither 
begetting  nor  begotten,  nor  proceeding,  and  so  was  distincl 
from  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost."* 

Nothing  more,  respedling  the  trinity,  appears  to  have  been 
started  in  this  dark  and  barbarous  age  of  the  world,  immers- 
ed in  Romish  superstition  and  ruled  by  Papal  tyranny  ;  till 
Grtgory  Palamas^  archbishop  of  Ibcssalonica^  about  the  year 
1354,  was  accused  of  believing  in  two  Gods,  because  he  dis- 
tinguished between  the  dhhie  tssencc^  and  its  energy  or  act, 
Pulamas  was  a  Greek,  and  hated  by  some  Latin  n;onks,  who 
determined  to  find,  or  say,  whatever  they  could  against  him. 
Men,  thus  happily  disposed,  may  possibly  obtain  credit  among 
themselves  ;  but  it  must  be  through  an  excess  of  libei*ality 
indeed,  if  they  gain  any  thing  better  than  pity  elsewhere. 

With  the  much-needed  reformation   cume  in  a  world  of  er- 
rors, some  of  which  arose  from  tiie  most  glaring  impiety  and 
licentiousness.      There    seemed  an    endeavour   among  many, 
not  only  to   shake  off  those   fetters  which  liadbcen  so   long 
unjustly    imposed    upon    men's     consciences,    but    to     shew 
that    men's    consciences     were    to    have    no    bounds  at   all, 
and  that  the  word  of  God  himself,  instead  of  being  a  test  for 
all    men,  was  now  to  submit  to  those  tribunals  of  reason  or 
fancy,  which  every  man  might    pvciume  he  had  a  right  to  set 
up  for   himself.      And  as  most  of  these  judges  had   a   law  of 
their  own,  or  made  one  for  themselves  ;   it  is  not  at  all  mira- 
culous, that  there  have  been   almost  as  many  dct  rmmationi 
us  men,  and  that,  upon  this  ground,  no  two  men  sho'.dd  have 
thought  alike.   They  not  only  inve[\ted,  therefore,  a  tli)US3nd 
new^opinions,    but    industriously   revived   many  of  the   old, 
which  either   suited,  or,  by   lopping   off  some  excrescences, 
might  be  made  to  suit,  the  genius  of  the  times.     The  i'aiists 
had  covered  every  thing  with  mystery,  and  crammed  it  down 
by  force  :   In  opposition  to  all  this,  which  was  bad  and  impi- 
ous enough,  there  arose  a  set  of  men,  who,  pretending  10  join 
with  the  wise  and  pious  reformers,  and  taking  advantage  of 
the  general  liberty,  endeavoured  to  subvert  the  Christian  rc- 
ligio'n  itself,  by  laving  it  down  for  a  principle,  that  all  true  re- 
ligion was  not  mysteVious,  or  tliat  there  ought  to  be  no  mys- 

*  Spanh.  hht.  ChrhU  sxc.  xiii.  p.  ICi':.    CAitRANz.£  Summai^  '- 
f/Y.  fol.  421. 

X  - 


358  C    O    N     C     L     U     S     I     O    N. 

tery  in  religion,  or  that  whatever  v,d.s  mysterious  in  religion 
was  altogether  wrong.  This  foundation  turns  the  Bible  out 
of  its  place,  and  sets  up  reason^  the  reason  o[  every  man^  and 
consequently  the  diffi^rcnt  and  jarring  reasons*  of  all  men, 
to  be  the  infallible  judge  in^^piritual  controversies.  Under 
this  usurpation  of  leason,  it  is  no  wonder,  that  the  Mosaic  ac- 
count of  tlie  creation,  the  fail  of  man,  the  prophetic  rites  of 
the  Jews,  (for  all  their  institutions  had  the  voice  of  prophecy) 
the  doclrine  of  tlie  trinity,  the  incarnation  of  Christ,  the  sa. 
tisfa6"tion  anTl  atonement  of  Christ,  the  descent  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  his  communion  with  his  people,  and  the  other  do^lrines 
of  the  gospel  dependent  upon  these,  were  altogether  explod- 
ed. Reason  could  not  understand  these  things  ;  "  therefore, 
says  reason,  they  are  false."  If  faith  would  urge,  ^'-  that 
they  are  tic  things  cj  Gcd^  'vcb'ich  no  man  can  hicuj  but  the 
Spirit  of  God ;''''  reason  answers,  '•'  I  will  take  no  evidence, 
hut  what  conies  to  my  own  proper  sense,  and  will  believe  the 
attestations  of  no  roan,  not  even  of  God  himself,  unless  the 
same  miracles  are  set  before  me,  as  are  stated  to  have  hap- 
])entd  unto  them."  Thus  reason  very  modestly  proposes, 
that  God  shall  continue  to  interruju  the  laws  of  nature  con- 
stantly (Tor  every  i:um  to  the  end  ot  time  may  plead  this)  for 
her  satisfaction  ;  and- then  she  will  do  him  the  honor  to  be- 
lieve, tliUt  the  Ahnighty  can  tell  no  lie  ;  but,  not  before. 
*She  will,  upon  this,  condescend  to  own,  that  possibly  he  may 
be  light  in  some  other  assertions  concerning  his  own  divine 
nature 7  and  that  the  gospel,  though  it  may  be  rather  myste- 
rious to  her  after  all,  shall  have  leave  to  be  credited  a  little 
in  the  world. — But  as  God  never  meant,  that  his  gospel 
should  be  a  subje^l  of  de])raved  reason^  but  of  graciousy^///^  ; 
there  is  no  l"jO[;e,  but  that,  as  it  ever  hath  been,  so  it  ever 
will  be,  a  stont  oJ'stiiviLling  and  a  rock  oj  offence  to  tbcm^wbo 
stumble  at  the  lisord.,  being  disobedient^  %vbcrti:nto  also  they  ivere 

appointed.      i  Tet.  ii.  8. '^  I  cannot  understand  all  this," 

says  reason  :  To  which  the  best  answer  is  ;  ""'  It  would  not 
l)Q  true^ii'  you  could.  You  pcrfti^lly  understand  nothing: 
How  then  can  \cu  pre3iin:e  to  couiprehcnd  the  irfmite  cause 
of  all  things  r"t' 

*  Austin  quotes  from  V.^rrj^xXvcX  there  were  no  less  than  288  dif- 
ferent opinioncof  philosophers  upon  o;i^  shigle  question.  '•'What 
is  the  surnmum  donum,  or  chief  good  ?"      Lc  ci'oii  dd,  \,  xix.  c.  1. 

t  If  it  he  objc6led,  that  this  method  of  disclaiming  the  agency 
of  reason  m  rchgious  Uiattersr  tends  to  open  a  door  to  cnthusiasra 
and  all  manner  (>f  nonsense  ;  it  may  be  liUswered  lihcrLlly,  that  to 
the  religion  of  Jesus  Chribt  there  can  properly  belong  no  nonsense, 
■which  is  a  ridiculous  rcpui-^nLJice  to  trutJi,  nor  enthusiasm,  winch 
is  a  serious  abuse  oi  it ;  so  tliat.  a  v>iid  profcosicu  is  «ot  a  t»*uc  one. 


C     o     N     C     I,     U     S     I     O     N.  3„ 

Reason  has  fled  from  this  humiliLitinji  jp  ourul,  anJ  set  U")  a 
religion,  or  rather  a  variety  in  religion,  of  her  own.  We 
will  only  take  the  chief  of  those  into  view,  which  most  ncatlv 
relate  to  the  subje(5l  of  these  Essays  ;  only  prtMnising,  ihai  all 
the  se6>s,  we  shall  mention,  pretend  a  regard  to  the  Scripture, 

And  with  respe6ltothe  use  of  reason,  it  being  an  excellent  p/iFt 
of  God  originally  perfect  in  our  nature,  it  is  to  be  rej^arded,  lhou,;li 
now  depraved,  in  all  things  Init  those,  which  arc  above  its  powers,  1% 
all  divine  things  most  certainly  are  ;  and  on  these  therefore  it  wtuld 
be  irrational  io  employ  it.  As  this  objeelion  is  of  nnu  li  iuiporiance, 
it  may  be  worth  while  to  give  it  a  shoit  considcration- 

The  case  of  E^TiiVbiAs:^!  hrlef.y  stated. 

That  there  is  an  intercourse  upon  the  business  of  salvation  be- 
tween the  Spirit  of  God  and  the  spirits  of  men,  really,  pov.erhdlv, 
and  efle(S\ually,  cannot  be  doubted  or  denied  by  those,  who  will  ri  - 
ceive   he  authority  of  the  foilowingScriplvires  among  many  others  : 

John  iii.  5.  vii.  39.  Rom  viii- 2,  9,  11,  i6,26.  Gal.  iii.  t/j. 
Eph.  ii  18.  1.  Pet.  iv.  I4.  John  xvi.  13.  Rom.  xir.  17.  1  Cor. 
vi.  19.     Titus  iii.  5. 

What  these  Scriptures  (which  are  the  wise  revelation  ofCiod) 
promise,  testify,  and  explain,  as  the  undoubted  priviied^^e  of  all  real 
Christians,  cannot  therefore  be  nonsense,  nor  yet  what  is  usually 
understood  by  enthusiasm.  This  last  term  then,  in  its  common 
evil  sense,  must  be  appHed  to  someth.njc  veiy  different  from  llu* 
prace  of  God  or  (what  is  the  same)  the  «//frjr/(.;j  <</7i/.y  Ih>lj  Sjiirit^ 
enlivening,  enlightening,  and  enabling  the  souls  of  his  people  ;  <t, 
while  we  pass  strictures  upon  men  and  their  errors,  we  may  extend 
our  censures  unwarily  to  the  truth  of  God  itself.  The  real  Chris- 
tian "  does  not  only  believe  (says  Mr.  Addison^  who  will  not  l.e  sus- 
pec\ed  for  a  fanciful  devotee)  but  feels  there  is  a  Deity.  He  I'as 
actual  sensations  of  him  ;  his  experience  concurs  v.'ith  his  reason  ;  he 
sees  him  more  and  more  in  all  his  intercourses  with  Jiim,  and  even 
in  this  life  cdnio:.t  loses  his  fa.th  in  conviction.  In  short,  the  person 
who  has  a  firm  trust  on  the  supreme  Being  is  jowerful  in  his  j  ov- 
er, wise  by  his  wisdom,  happy  by  his  happiness."  Spect,  No.  46 
and  441.      Will  any  man  call  this  enthusiasm  r 

It  is  right  to  ask  then;  what  is  properly  entliusiasm, that  dan- 
gerous evil  against  which   v.c  hear  so  loud  an  alarn*  in  the  world  ? 

It  cannot  be  gross  vice  or  immortality  ;  for,  generally,  vicious 
and  immoral  people  exclaim  vehemently  against  i».  Nor  is  it 
carelessness  or  unconcern  about  salvation  ;  because  (he  n)ort  in- 
different people  at  e  in  that  respe6l,  the  more  violent  is  their  outcry 
upon  the  matter.  Is  it  then  an  cntlmsiasm  in  the  pursuit  of  llu: 
world's  pleasure,  riches,  and  honors?  in  tlie  chase  ofiis  gaictitft, 
parade,  and  professions  ?  Certainly  not  ;  for  this  is  ly  no  nuanf<  an 
enthusiasm  condemned,  but,  if  surressfnl  especially,  adn>ired,  f<.l- 
lov/ed,  and  crowned  with  applause.  Nobody  puis  a  stigma  ujv.n 
people  with  ther-e  atcomp'ishnicnts,  nor  believes  them  to  merit  the 


■i6o  C     O     N     C     L     U     S     I     O     N. 


so  far  at  least  as  it  can  be  wrested  to  support  their  respe61:ive 
opinions.  As  to  those,  who  are  such  masters  in  reason,  as 
to  reje6l  the  Bible  altogether;  it  would  be  too  foreign  to  our 
matter,  and  require  too  long  a  discussion  for  this  place,  even 
if  it  had  not  been  sufficiently  done  already  ;  which  indeed  it 
has  been  by  Dr.  Leland  and  by  several  others. 

odious  title  of  enthusiastic  creatures,  if  even  life,  health,  and  sub- 
stance are  wholly  laid  out  upon  these  obje6ls. 

On  the  other  hand  (as  we  have  seen]  the  impressions  of  di- 
Tine  grace,  and  all  their  "  sober  certainty  of  waking  bliss,"  must 
be  c'.Dove  the  imputation  of  any  ill  name  ;  or  God  and  his  truth, 
however  impossible  in  fa6\,  will  seem  to  fall  under  condemna- 
tion. 

Vet  this  mark  ©f  infamy  is  placed  only  upon  religious  professors. 
'Tis  a  something  in  religion  which  is  thus  branded  ;  and,  if  it  de- 
serve the  brand,  let  it  fore  ver  wear  the  shame.  But  it  can  only  de- 
serve this,  by  being  contrary  to  the  express  and  written  word  of 
God. 

Agreeable  to  this  principle  ;  the  true  definaticn  of  religious 
enthusiasm  !  not  regarding  the  misapplication,  but  the  common- 
ly received   sense,  of  the  term)  may  be  somewhat  like  the  follow- 

An  elevation,  conceit,  effusion,  or  inflation  only  of  the  human 
mind,  under  the  impulse  of  which  it  pretends  to  think  or  ac\  in  re- 
li.L^ious  concerns,  without  having  or  without  regarding  the  proper 
warrant  of  God's  written  word,  which  being  fixed  in  its  canon  and 
closed  in  its  prophecy,  is  now  the  only  settled  rule,  law,  and  testi- 
mony, by  which  all  the  circumstances  of  religion  are  to  be  proved 
and  determined. 

If  this  definition  be  corre61,  we  shall  find  the  censure  of  enthu- 
siasm to  fall  upon  two  sorts  of  persons.  First,  those,  who  pretend 
to  divine  inspiration,whilethey  are  only  warmed  by  a  deluded  fancy, 
ABOVE  the  word  of  God  and  beyond  its  san6\ions  :  And,  secondly, 
these  who  reje6ling  all  supernatural  aids  or  (vvhat  is  the  same  the 
particular  efficacy  and  omnipotence  of  those  aids,  are  so  vainly  puf- 
fed up  by  their  fleshly  mind,  as  not  to  hold  the  head  [CHRIST] 
for  spiritual  nourishment  or  erudition,  and  by  following  their  own 
spirits  venture  to  intrude  into  these  things  which  they  have  not 
seen;  and  therefore  proceed  without  the  word  and  against  it. 
l^oth  of  these  a<Sl  upon  the  same  common  principle,  however  dif- 
ferent the  effedl ;  their  own  natural  and  corrupted  riiind  being  ru- 
ler and  gui^le  in  both.  Tor,  as  the  one  sort  is  borne  aloft  by  a  wild 
and  unhounded  imagination, the  other  blindly  follows  a  corriq  1  ?rd 
incapr.ble  reason  ;  which  two  are  different  powers  indeed,  but  arc 
however  powers  alike  of  the  same  human  understrnding. 

Upon  this  view  of  the  case  then,  it  mry  appear,  that  the  depraved 
cncrpy  of  fallen  man,  if  it  attempt  divine  things  without  assistance 
cr  without  rule,  is  un.^ed  l)y  tl-Pt  ancgi^rce  or  ii^fiatior  ol  an  undis- 
ciplined soul,  -which  deserves  the  name,  because  it  bears  the  nature, 
of  enthusiasm  ;   and  conscrjuently  that  those  are  tlic  religious  tn 


CONCLUSION.  361 

Some  of  the  German  Anabaptists,  among  other  points 
thought  perversely  of  the  trinity,  holding  the  three  persons  to 
be  three  essences^  different  from  each  other  in  nature,  power 
and  glory,  and  maintaining  that  their  unity  consisted  only 
in  that  kind  of  w///  and  consent  of  operation,  which  niay  sub- 
sist between  two  or  three  kings,  or  did  subsist  among  tlic  dis- 
ciples ot  J  esus.  They  also  held  the  sameopinions  with  iMarcion^ 
Ci^rdon^  &c.  concer  the  person  of  Christ,  and  rt-speding  the  di- 
vinity of  the  Holy  Spirit.  They  took  their  composition  irom 
Arianis7n  and  the  enthusiasms  of  some  antient  heretics,  and 
wrought  it  up, with  some  wild  concept  ionsof  their  own, for  a  new 
se6l;  or  seels, to  which  they  gave  a  newdenonnnation.  It  is  right, 
however,to  say,  that  the  northern  Anabaptists  in  Germany ^-^w^ 
the  society  called  Baptists  in  England^  were  always  people  of 
a  different  stamp  ;  the  latter  of  whom  are  for  the  most  part 
of  the  same  principles  with  our  Congregationalists  or  Inde- 
pendents, excepting  in  the  article  oi  baptism. 

About  the  same  time  with  these  Anabaptists,  tlie  famous 
Michael  Servetus  made  his  appearance,  for  the  trouble  and 
disgrace  of  the  reformation.  It  is  an  old  remark  ?  ^'  Where 
God  founds  a  church,  the  devil  will  build  a  chapel."  It  was 
permitted  to  be  so,  in  this  case  ;  And  the  reason  of  it  may  be 
seen  in  i  Cor.  xi.  19.  The  devil  chuses  his  instruments,  for 
the  most  part,  with  his  usual  sagacity:  And  Servetus^  in  re- 
specl  to  the  abilities  of  his  mind  and  to  his  literary  attain- 
ments, was  qualified  to  do  honor  to  a  better  patron.  Like 
his  master,  he  was  indefatigable,  and  'uocnt  to  and  fro  in  the 
earthy  and  %valking  up  end  do^jjti  in  it.  He  wrote  nmch,  as 
well  as  travelled  much,  and  took  uncommon  pains  to  dissemi- 
nate his  opinions,  or  rather  the  opinions  oi  Paul  0I  Samosata^ 
Vv'hich  he  improved  in  their  error.  He  opposed  the  doctrine 
of  the  trinity  with  the  utmost  virulence,  and  led  the  way  for 
the  Socinians  ;  upon  which  account,  perhaps,  it  is,  they   arc 

thusiasts,  who  presume  to  soar  above  God's  revealed  wisdom  in  his 
word,  or  pretend  to  obtain  divine  knowlege  without  divine  teacli- 
in^^^  and  to  acTlor  determine  in  spiritual  things  by  the  strength  of 
their  own  weak  and  incompetc^nt  faculties. 

Nothing-  has  been  s?id  here  of  diabolic  impressions,  because, 
wtoever  they  may  ad  upon  the  human  mind, they  so  a6taccordinj< 
to  the  mode  of  its  corruptions  and  depravities,  that  the  result  can 
only  be  the  same  abuse  or  contradiclion  of  the  revealed  w  dl  ot  Cod, 
and  therefore  must  merit  no  other  name. 

In  confirmation  of  these  sentiments,  the  reader  is  requested  r.t- 
tentively  to  compare  the  fvsHowing  Scriptures:  Is.  vni.  iO.  Jol:n 
viii.  47.  1  John  ii.  5.  Matth.  xxiv.  25  —  i  Cor.  n.  11.  &ic.  111.  \<^ 
Eph.  ii.  18.  Phil.  iii.  3.  1  John  iv.  13.  Jude  19.  Luke  Nxiv.io'. 
John  XV-  5. 


36s  CONCLUSION.  *» 

so  exceedingly  zealous  to  defend  his  reputation.  Spanbdm^ 
who  at  least  was  as  likely  to  know  corre61iy  about  him  as 
they,  informs  us,  that  he  was  homo  ad  omnem  improbitatcm 
cffictus^  ^'  a  man  framed  for  all  sorts  of  wickedness."*  Yet 
this  unhappy  man  could  sit  down  to  corre6l  proofs  of  a  Latin 
Bible,  printed  at  Lyons^  and  to  write  a  preface  and  raarginal 
notes  for  it,  after  the  declaration  of  his  principles.  He  went 
farther;  for  he  entitled  one  of  his  books,  The  restitution  of 
Christianity  ;  though  it  tends  to  sap  the  very  foundation  of 
all  Christianity.  With  this  conduct,  he  pretended  to  believe, 
tiiat  the  Bible  was  a  divine  revelation  :  And  yet  he  wrote 
many  things  in  dire6l  contradidlion  to  it.  He  followed 
his  own  ingenuity,  which  is  generally  allowed  to  have 
been  great ;  and  this  seems  to  have  misled  him  in  warping 
the  Scriptures  to  a  preconceived  system,  which  he  maintain- 
ed with  such  an  intemperance  of  language  and  heat  of  spirit, 
as  certainly  could  give  neither  himself  nor  his  opinions  any 
weight  or  value.  He  was  a  metaphysician,  and  thought  to 
comprehend  by  reason,  what  only  is  delivered  to  the  church 
as  an  article  o1  faith.  No  natural  man  can  endure  this  bid' 
dcd  vdisdorn  of  God  {^^  the  apostle  calls  it  i)  nor  even  allow 
it  to  be  wisdom  at  all,  because  hidden  from  him.  Servetus  de- 
serves to  be  placed  at  the  head  of  modern  Anti-trinitarianSy 
and  may  be  esteemed  the  wretched  martyr  of  a  bad  cause. 
The  putting  him  to  death,  however,  cannot  well  be  justified, 
if  it  v/as  adjudged  only  for  his  heterodox  principles;  and 
serves  to  shew,  in  that  case,  that  good  men,  left  to  the  pas- 
sions of  their  own  corrupt  hearts,  are  capable  of  doing  very 
ill  things. 

Soon  after  Servetus^  the  Spaniard  Valcntinus  Genti.is  an  Ita- 
lian newly  vamped  up  the  opinion  of  Jobn  Grammaticus  or 
Pbiloponus^  and  contended,  in  opposition  to  the  Unitarians^ 
that  there  were  three  eternal  Spirits,  numerically  different, 
and  different  in  degree.  This  was  T'ritbeism^  or  the  opinion 
of  three  Gods,  with  a  witness  Yet  he  found  fcllov/ers,  and 
especially  in  Poland  arid  Transylvania.  These  followers,  aim- 
ing to  improve  their  master's  opinions,  carried  their  refine- 
ments so  far,  as  to  reproduce  the  different  degrees  of  Aria- 
nism  and  Socinianism.,  which,  from  that  time  to  this,  have  so 
eminently  edified  the  world  in  all  things  but  one — the  true 
knowledge  of  God,  by  a  life  of  faith  and  communion  with 
Him.  But  this,  according  to  them,  is  a  mere  error,  in  reli- 
gion ;   and  on  the  other  hand,  according  to  the  Bible,  all  re- 

*  Misc.  Sacr.  Ant.  Lib.  x.  col.  1544.  Sec,  to  the  same  eifeSt, 
Melch.  Adam.  Invit.  Calvini.  p.  89. 


CONCLUSION.  36S 

ligion,  which  does  not  end  in  this,  is  mere  dehision.— Tlicsc 
are  wide  extremes  ;  and  the  Bible  must  be  cut  up  uad  IVamcd 
anew,  before  they  can  be  reconciled. 

In  this  first  age   also  of  the   reformation,  arose  the  famous 
Loclius  Socinus^  an  Italian  of  family  at  S/cnna^  and  his  memo- 
rable  nephew   Faustus.     The  uncle  was,  according  to  Span- 
heim^  a  consociate  with  Bernard  Ochin^  with  Gcntiiis  above- 
mentioned,  and  several  others,  to  the  number  of  forty  iu  il,e 
whole,  in  the  Venetian  territory.   These  people,  bein^^r  fortbe 
most  part  men  of  acknowledged   abilities  with  respccl  to  hu- 
man   attainments,  set  up   and  propagated,  by  combiniiitr    l\^^. 
old  heresies  of  Paul  of  Samosata^  of   Pbotinus^  of  Pclao-ius 
and  in  some  degree  of  Arius^  a  new  and  famous  heresy,  wliidi 
from  the   Sccini  its  principal  founders,  is  now  well  known  by 
the  name  oi Socinianism.    From  their  Racovian  school  in  Po- 
land^ this  error  has  spread  itself,  and  particularly  in  the  cou:i- 
tries  professing  protestanism,  through  all  Europe.     It  is  (a- 
niong  lYiQ pure  Sociftiansat  least)  not  many  removes  from  Ma- 
bomcdism  ;  insomuch,  that  one  Adam  Neuser^  a  German  the- 
ologist  of  the  Socinian  order,  openly  espoused  tl;e  Turkish  re- 
ligion, was  circumcised  at  Constantinople^  and  pressed  liis  ex- 
ample upon  his   brethren  ;   which  he   might,  not  very  incon- 
sistently, do  ;   the  ground-work  of   the  two   religions    beino- 
pretty  iriach    alike.      For  though  (-is  it  hath  been  observed;^ 
not  one  e?£ample  can  be  produced  of  a  Turk  turning  Christian, 
or  to  any  other  religion  ;  yet  for  a  Socinian,  who  renounces 
that    distinguisliing  tenet    of  Christianity,    the    divinity   of 
Christ  and  the  Spirit,  to  commence  Mahometan,  is  rather  an 
easy  than  a  violent  tiansition.      And  there    have  beea   peo- 
ple among  us    of   tlie  Socinian  leaven,    who  have  tacitly    ac- 
knowledged this,  by  proposing  a  formal  renuiiciation  of  the 
doctrine  of  the  trinity, in  order  to  win  the  Turks, ^'v/ho,(aS  one 
pleasantly  says)  pray  five  times  a  day  that  the  may  nev<;r  be- 
come Christians."  Perliaps  some  of  them  would  think  it  rather 
hard,   if  thev   were  obliged   to  pray   half  so  often,  that   tiicy 
might  never  become  Turks. 

After  the  Socini^  uncle  and  nephew,  tlie  most  considerable 
abettors  of  this  opinion  abroad  have  been  Ostorodius^  CriliiuSy 
Smalcius^  Volkdius^  Conrad  Vorstius^  &c.  The  names  at  home 
are  too  numerous  to  be  mentioned  ;  and  it  might  seem  likewise 
invidious  to  mention  them.  Suffice  it  therefore  to  add,  that 
these  great  masters  of  reason  have  been  very  well  answered 
by  several  English  and  foreign  divines  ;  among  the  former  of 
\vhom  Dr.  Jonathan  Edwards^  whose  Preservative  against 
Socinianism  might  be  recommended  to  an  English  reader, 
was  none  of  the  least. 

*  lyss's  travels  thrc.'^h  Pjrsia,  p.  3 1 2. 


364  CONCLUSION. 

So  much  has  been  said  about  Reason  in  religion  of  late 
years^  that  one  would  almost  think,  its  panegyrists  had  made 
a  new  discovery,  or  that  it  was  a  new  creation  dropped  from 
the  clouds.  The  whole  discourse  of  some  men,  in  this  age, 
turns  entirely  in  favor  of  rational  religion^  as  though  this 
kind  of  religion  was  either  a  new  thing,  or  (wliat  seems  most 
likely  to  be  the  opinion  of  its  advocates)  the  Christian  re- 
ligion was  never  found  rational  before.  And  so  because  the 
doclrines  of  grace  have  been  abused  by  fanatics  and  hypo- 
crites ;  they  think  it  impossible  to  go  too  far  into  the  opposite 
extreme  :  A;id  hence  they  deny  grace  and  its  operations  all 
together.  High  encomiums  are  raised  therefore,  at  present, 
upon  people  0I  cool  piety  ^  2nd  moderate  ckvotian  ;  which  terms 
are  not  to  be  quarrelled  with,  if  used  in  a  true  sense  :  But, 
when  they  are  employed  to  cover  laxness  of  principle  and 
formality  in  religion,  one  cannot  help  saying,  that  the  piety 
of  such  men  is  cool  enough  indeed,  chilling  cold,  without, 
warmth  of  love  either  to  God  01  man.  Their  devotions  will 
certainly  be  very  moderate  upon  this  ground  ;  and  there  is  no 
sort  of  fear,  that  they  should  happen  to  be  over-strained.  Of 
tliis  reasonable  piety  of  the  age,  it  may  be  said,  without  breach 
of  charity,  because  it  is  a  melancholy  truth,  that  it  is  not 
founded  upon  the  word  of  God,  nor  supported  by  the  grace  of 
God,  nor  efFedled  to  the  glory  of  God.  It  is  a  religion  of 
mere  philosophy  or  ethics,  in  all  respects  independent  of,  and 
in  some  contradi61ory  to  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ.  Dry 
and  speculative  both  in  form  and  matter,  it  has  no  life  to 
mend  the  heart,  no  power  to  influence  the  life.  And,  as  this 
is  evidently,  from  the  principles  and  pra«5lice  of  its  professors, 
the  charac^ter  of  our  modern  rational  profession  ;  we  may  well 
wish  for  the  ancient  J'aiib  to  revive  again,  and  to  resume  its 
former  credit  and  operation  in  the  world- 

And  what  is  this  reason  of  which  we  hear  so  much  applause, 
and  see  so  lictle  benefit  ? — It  m.iy  not  be  amiss  to  consider. 

As  God  creates  only  what  is  good  ;  so  reason,  before  the 
fall,  was  pure  and  perfect  reason,  and  adequate  to  its  proper 
objects.  Reason  is  that  faculty  in  the  intellecl  of  mail,  which 
combines  ideas,  and,  from  their  combination,  concludes  their 
due  result :  And  if  the  ideas  are  certain  and  conclusive,  the 
deciuclions  will  be  the  same.  This  faculty  in  man,  at  its  first 
creation,  had  none  but  vigiit  objc^ls  for  its  exercis---  ;  and  it 
had  a  perfecland  true  power  to  form  and  collccl  ideas  from 
those  objeifts,  and  to  obtain  just  conclnsions  by  them.  There 
was  then  no  clond  thrown  over  the  objects,  and  no  darkness 
in  the  faculty,  \v!iic!i  was  to  be  enrployed  about  them  ;  but 
they  perfeclly  corresponded  with  each  other,  and  led  all  the 
powers  of  tlie  soul  into  truth.  This  happy  state  of  reason 
consisted,  nofcnly  in  the  purity  and  jusine.^.s  of  its  formation, 


CONCLUSION.  365 

but  in  its  constant  comuiunion  with  Him,  who  is  uncreated 
re6litucle,  and  who  carried  it  on  consentaneously  with  his  un- 
erring mind,  and  pointed  it  to  himself  as  to  its  final  obicd  or 
end. 

Upon  the  fall,  this  beautiful  scene  of  light,  truth,  and 
peace,  immediately  changed.  Reason  now  flowed  from  a 
dark,  depraved,  and  agitated  intelle6l ;  and,  of  course,  her 
ratiocinations  were  no  longer  carried  on,  either  with  God, 
through  God,  or  to  God.  Having  forfeited  communion  witlv 
him,  and,  insensible  of  the  greatness  of  that  benefit,  boldly 
owning  no  assistances  from  him  ;  it  preposterously  endea- 
vours to  coile6l  bright  ideas  of  spiritual  things  from  a  benight- 
ed v/orld  of  matter,  and  to  form  certain  and  exacl  conclu- 
sions of  truth  without  correspondence  with  the  God  of  truth. 
It  is  so  blind,  that  it  doth  not  know,  that  its  faculty  has  lost 
its  original  certainty,  and  that  the  mind  and  every  thing  a- 
bout  it  is  shut  up  in  a  darkness  that  may  be  felt.  It  is  often 
at  a  loss  upon  the  most  trifling  earthly  subjecls,  about  its 
own  powers  and  existence,  and  clashes  with  itself  in  each  in- 
dividual, and  with  its  own  operations  in  other  men.  All  the 
debates  and  controversies  in  the  world  prove  the  weakness 
and  insufliciency,  and  from  thence  the  fall,  of  reason.  In  af- 
fairs, where  men  have  no  other  guide,  and  lawfully  appeal  to 
reason,  they  often  differ  strangely,  and  rather  guess  at,  than 
produce,  right  conclusions.  In  this  humiliating  condition, 
however,  reason  reje6ts  the  very  notion  of  its  impotence  and 
depravity,  though  proved  by  every  circumstance  of  natural, 
moral,  and  intelle61ual  evil  ;  and  ventures  to  acl  from  itself, 
concerning  divine  affairs,  in  a  manner,  which  it  ought  not  to 
do,  and  certainly  would  not  do,  if  it  were  not  depraved. 
All  the  other  faculties  became  partakers  of  this  degeneracy 
of  the  mind.  The  passions  and  affe(5lions  fell  into  disorder, 
quarrelled  at  once  with  the  rule  of  righteousness,  and  with 
€ach  other.  They  now  had  no  system  but  self;  and  self  was 
too  much  at  variance  to  keep  up  a  system.  Each  appetite  of 
the  bodv,  each  passion  of  the  soul,  no  longer  adverUng  to  the 
particui'ar  end  for  which  it  was  created,  the  good  of  the  whole 
man  and  the  Creator's  glory  ;  sought  its  own  immediate  gra- 
tification, and  gave  rise  to"  those  jars  and  conflids,  which  e- 
very  one  feels  within  him.  But,  as  reason  is  the  appointed 
natural  guide  to  the  attainment  of  whatever  can  be  possess- 
ed of  this  world  by  body  or  mind  ;  each  appetite  or  passion 
makes  its  address  to  reason,  and  tempts  it  to  become  its  ad- 
vocate, wrestles  with  it  to  prevail,  and  promises  a  truce  to 
the  conflicl  within  upon  granting  its  terms.  Hence,  accord-- 
ino-to  the  respeaive  predominancy  of  each  particii  ar  ailcc- 
ti^n,  enfeebled  reason  becomes  a  dupe,  and  warps  ail  lU  con- 
Vol.  II.  Y  y 


366  CONCLUSION. 

elusions  to  the  service  oi  the  reigning  tyrant  within. — Thus, 
the  man,   whose  ^rj^  appetite  is  ambition^  mistaking  the  ob- 
jecl  of  true  and  lasting  glory,  which  is  God,  lays  out  all  the 
powers   of  his  reason  to   subserve    that   ambition   in  the   ag- 
grandizement of  self.     Of  this  MacbiaveV s  writings  give  us 
a  monstrous   proof,  where  reason  is  prostituted  to  work  into 
system  all  the  selfishness  and  horrors  of  the  most  restless  am- 
bition.— Tiius,  the  man  of  avarice^  having  lost  the  knowledge 
of  the  true  riches,  endeavours  to  gratify  his  lust  of  wealth, 
bv  forming  plans  to  scrape  up  all  the  perishing  trash  within 
his  grasp  upon  earth. — Thus,  the  man  of  sho'-Ji  or  pride ^  igno- 
rant of  the  beauty  of  holiness  or  spiritual  perfection,  strives 
to  satisfy  his  passion  for  ornament  and  splendor,  by  devising 
modes  to  adorn  a  poor   corruptible  body,  and  by   adding  his 
sliare  of  support  to  the  same  gaudy  fashions  in  the  rest  of  the 
world.     Thus  the  man,  whose  desire  turns  upon  curiosity  or 
kno'vjledge  (laudable  as  that  desire  is  above  most  others,)  yet, 
having  none  at  all  for  true   erudition  or  a  divine  tutor,  pur- 
sues the  shadow  of  human  learning  for    substantial   wisdom, 
and  often  imagines  that  to  be  true  science^  which  is  all  oppo- 
<sitio7i  in  itself,  and  whieh  at  the  best  is  hutfalsly  so  called, — 
Thus,  the  man  of  lusi^  who  is  by  many  degrees    nearer  the 
brutes  of  the  creation,  forgetting  the  chaste  affeClion,  which 
Ood  gave  to  his  nature  for  his  own  comfort,  for  the   comfort 
of  one  am/iabie  help-mate  endeared  by  every  tie  of  the  most 
unreserved  society,  and  for  the  general  welfare  and  increase 
of  mankind  ;  wanders,  in  dire6l  opposition  to  this   elegant  aa 
well  as  benevolent  harmony,  from   female  to  female,  for  the 
indulgence  of  a    sensuality,  in    which  goats  and  dogs  are  his 
rivals,  and  in  which  he  is  scarce  on  a  level  with  them.     The 
same  brutal  lust  will   prostitute  the  wretch's  reason  to  con- 
tend for  this,  as  it  hath  done  (and  with  great  learning  too}* 
in  books  of  the  vilest  obscenity  ;  or  if  it  cannot  so  far  violate 
reason,  through  some   adventitious    checks,  as  to    constrain 
her,  like  an  audacious    strumpet,  to  justify  indiscriminate  or 
unlimited    amours  ;  it   will  urge    her  to  become  advocate  at 
least  for  some  furthqr  licence,  than  the  marriage  oi  pairs  can 
allow.     Reason  may    shrink  for  a  while,  and  plead  inexpcdi- 
ence^  and  from  thence  that  the  pra6lice  cannot  be  natural^  and 
then  further,  that,  consequently,  it  could  not  be  instituted  by 
the  God  of  nature  :  But  strong   lust  will  bring  weak  reason 
down,  and  not   only  so,  but  turn  the  Bible  itself  into  a  shop 

*  The  author  is  sorry  to  stain  his  page,  in  evidence  of  this  asser- 
tio!!,  'A-ith  the  names  of  Pdter  Aretin^  Sanchez  the  Jesuit,  and  the  tru- 
ly inlamoMS  Adrian  Beverland  ;  all  men  of  line  parts  and  learning, 
b\it  who  abused  them  (like  the  \n  its  of  Charks  the  second's  court)  t« 
the  most  brutal  and  indecent  purposes. 


CONCLUSION.  367 

for  licentious  wares,  and  find  drugs  in  it  to  provoke  and  sti- 
mulate appetites,  which  God  revealed  it  from  heaven  to  cor- 
re6l  and   subdue.     In  this  prostitution  of  religion,  lust  will 
proceed  to  compel  reason  to  urge,  from  the  condemned  bard- 
ness  of  some  men's  hearts^  or  from  an  ancient  praclice  wiiicli 
doth  not  apply  to  any  Christian  society  in  the  world,  the  cs 
tablishment  of  a  commerce,  which  would  overturn  and  dis- 
solve all  religious,  civil,  and  domestic  (Economies,  and,  from 
a  masked  battery,  let  loose  the  rakes  of  the   earth,  like  Ro- 
mans upon   Sabines^  to  reduce  the  worth  and  comfort  or  to 
make  a  prey  of  womankind.^     Lust,  the  vilest  lust,  shall  be 
the   spur  and  the  spring  of  these  excogitations;  while  rea- 
son and  the  Scripture  shall  be  dragged  forth,  like  two  pimps, 
to  procure  for  or  defend  emotions,  with  which  reason  (deprav- 
ed as  she  is)  has  nothing  to  do,  and  which  the   Scripture,  un- 
tortured^\w  the  very  endand  design  of  it,  expressly  condemns, 
— Thus,  also,  the  Atheist^  having  lost  sight  of  G'^d,  suborns  his 
reason  to  deny  his  very  being,  and,  like  the  ostrich  hiding  his 
head  in  a  bush,  fancies  that,  because  he  cannot  see  his  Maker, 
his  Maker  doth  not  behold  hira.     One  might  enumerate  many 
other  particulars,  in  which  men  -xi-gMtfrom  o^  for  their  vices  ; 
and,  because  reason  is  corrupted  and  employed  in  their  aid, 
they  very  corre6lly  call  the  clamors  of  their  passions  and  ap- 
petites the  voice  of  reason  itself. — From  all  this,  we  may  see 
what  reason  is,  in  our  preseut  fallen  state;  that,  instead  of 
being  luminous  as  at  first,  it  is  dark  and  degraded  ;  and,  in- 
stead of  being  free  to  comm.and  all  righteousness  to  the   ani- 
mal frame,  it  is  become  a  slave  to  those  mean  and  sordid  ap- 
petites, which  sin  corrupted,  and  which,  for  sin,  must  perish 
in  the  grave.      From  hence  too  we  may  see  one  great  cause 
-of  all  human    error  even  upon  natural    objects,   and    what 

*  Bernard  Ochin  was  the  first  Protestant,  who  wrote  in  defence  of 
polygamy ^2irv6.  was  well  answered  by  Beza,  In  the  last  century,  several 
authors  appeared  to  justify  this  praiSlice,  both  in  Germany  and  Eng- 
land,  some  anonymously,  and  others  under  ficlitious  names,  who 
were  answered  abroad,  by  the  elder  Sphanheini  in  his  Duhia  Evan- 
^elica^  Vol.  II,  by  Johannes  Mus<tus^  in  a  Latin  dissertation  ;  by 
Walter  Schluier,  chaplain  to  the  K.  of  Denmark,  in  the  (German 
tongue  ;  and  by  the  learned  professor  3feyer^  in  his  hook  de  uxore 
Christiana,  which  Spanheim  the  son  highly  commends  in  his  theoL 
oper,  p.  ii.  col.  1006.  Putting  religion  out  of  the  question,  Sallusty 
an  heathen  historian,  lewd  as  he  was,  g,ives,  in  his  concise  style, 
sufficient  argument  against  the  praaice  from  reason  alone.  Sj^eak- 
mg  of  the  polygamy,  which  obtained  amongst  the  antient  Hloors  and 
Numidians,  he  adds,  Singuli  pro  opibus,  quiscjue  quamplurimas  ux- 
ores  ;  denas  alii,  alii  plures  habent ;  sed  regcs  eo  amplius.  Itaani^ 
mns  multitudine  distrahitur  ;  nullam  pro  soda  ohtinct  :  pcnUr  amncs 
wiles  sunt.     Bell.  Jugurtfe- 


368  CONCLUSION. 

mistakes  must  necessarily  arise,  when  this  principle  is  sufTer- 
ed  to  come  in,  as  a  rule  or  criterion  in  spiritual  things. 
Surely,  that  which  is  now  become  a  false  medium  for  vision 
is  very  ill  qualified  to  corre6l  our  sight.  Who  could  have  be- 
lieved, but  for  the  existence  of  the  fa6l,  that  this  glass  of  rea- 
son should  have  refra6ledsuch  different  colors  as  Socinia^iism 
Arianism^  Trhheism,  Sahellianism^  and  Deism^  from  the  same 
ray  of  pure  and  uncorrupted  light  ?  And  yet  this  is  the  case  ; 
^s  perhaps  the  following  considerations  may  shew. 

The  principal  ground,  for  instance,  of  the  Socinian  error, 
consists  in  this  one  point — the  submitting  the  Bible  to  what 
they  suppose  to  be  reason,  instead  of  submitting  this  reason 
to  the  revlation  of  God  in  the  Bible.  In  this  respe61:,  they  are 
but  one  remove  from  the  Deists^  who,  from  the  pretended  dic- 
tates of  this  imperfecSl  and  depraved  principle,  reject  all  reve- 
lation together.  The  Socinians  a6l  a  more  uncandid  and  in- 
consistent part  ;  for,  while  they  profess  to  receive  the  Bible 
as  the  truth  of  God,  they  reje6l  those  most  distinguishing 
principles,  on  which  the  whole  of  the  Bible  stands,  and  with- 
out which  it  is  indeed  that  composition  of  absurdities,  which 
it  is  for  the  interest  of  some  men  that  it  should  be.  To  say, 
that  the  Bible  is  the  truth  of  God,  which  must  be  cerditude 
itself  as  such,  and  yet  to  deny  its  peculiar  do6lrines,  because 
poor  fallible  worms  cannot  measure  or  bring  them  down  to 
the  full  comprehension  of  their  faculties  ;  is  a  bold  contra- 
diction in  itself,  and  just  as  absurd  as  the  condu(Sl  of  that 
man  would  be,  who  fhould  refuse  to  receive  food  as  food, 
merely  because  he  cannot  explain  honjo  it  is  so.  If  reason 
could  explain  any  one  thing  in  the  world,  there  might  be  the 
more  pretence  for  all  this  luisdom  above  ^jjbat  is  ivritten  :  But 
as  no  man  can  unravel  the  multiform  mysteries  in  nature, 
and  yet  allow^s  their  existence  ;  it  becomes  the  more  inexcu- 
sable in  any,  who  receive  God's  word  as  sucb^  to  quarrel  with 
its  doctrines,  only  because  their  little  Ihiiited  reason  cannot 
define  them.  Their  reason,  in  this  place,  dv/indles  into  opi- 
nion^ because  the  objecls  are  out  of  its  reach  ;  and  stands  in 
the  same  predicament  with  those  conje^lures  of  philosophers, 
who  form  kingdoms  in  the  moon,  and  raise  states  and  empires 
in  all  the  planetary  worlds  about  them.  Christianity  has  in- 
deed but  very  little  obligation  to  many  of  those  divines,  who, 
■under  color  of  making  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  (what  they 
are  pleased  to  term)  reasonable^  have  given  up  the  m.ost  es- 
sential do6lrines  of  that  religion,  purely  because  their  reason 
could  not  account  for  them  ;  forgetting,  that  the  obje61s  of 
faith  cannot  be  the  obje6\s  of  reason,  and  consequently  not 
subje(5l  to  reason.  One  should  have  thought,  that  the  first 
question  to  be  asked  by  these  cogent  reasoners  would  have 
been  j  ''  Hath  God  said  this  ?  Is  this  bis   trutb  I"' — If  it  /^f 


CONCLUSION.  36.y 

so  (as  most  of  them  have  conceded  ;)  there  is  an  end  of  all 
controversy,  and  there  should  be  an  end  of  all  doubt  ;  because 
God  cannot  lie. — If  it  be  not  so  ;  then,  again,  there  is  at  once 
an  end  of  the  whole  matter  ;  for  all  the  mere  reasonings  in 
the  world  cannot  prove  the  Bible  to  be  true,  and  for  this 
plain  reason  ;  because  all  the  do6lrinal  parts  of  it,  relating 
to  God  and  the  world  of  spirits,  are  not  the  invention  nor 
the  present  obje6ls  of  the  reasoning  faculty.  A  snail  or  a 
fly  might  as  justly  commence  mathematicians,  pretend  to 
write  down  the  order  of  things  in  the  universe,  and  diclatc 
lecSlures  of  instru(5lion  to  the  intellect  of  man. 

What  have  been  the  ejects  of  this  potent  reason  in  the  So- 
cinian  world? — A  train  of  do6lrines,  which  invalidate. all  re- 
velation. They  have  passed  a  Rubicon  (as  one  expresses  it) 
and  may  dispute  either  for  the  Talmud  or  Koran.*  l:i  tlie 
first  place,  they  will  not  allow,  that  God  has  given  a  true  ac- 
count of  himself^  nor  of  Christy  nor  of  man^  nor  of  heaven, 
nor  of  bell.  For,  they  deny,  that  there  are  persons  in  the 
Godhead,  and  assert  that  other  beings  may  properly  have  the 
name  of  Jehovah  ;  though  God  says,  bis  name  only  is  jfclo- 
vah^  and  hath  declared  a  plurality  in  his  essence.  They  main- 
tain, that  Christ  was  a  mere  man,  without  any  existence  be- 
fore the  virgin  Mary ;  though  Christ  himself  says,  that  he 
had  the  glory  ^itb  the  Father  before  the  ^orld  ivas.  From 
this  daring  blasphemy  against  his  person  arise  twenty  other 
impious  dogmas  concerning  his  work,  which  they  asstrt  to  be 
merely  human,  without  any  satisfa6lion  for  sin,  without  any 
merit  for  righteousness,  or  without  any  other  consequence 
than  as  a  mere  pattern,  like  the  example  of  any  other  moral 
man.  Their  philosophy  too  allows  the  strange  opinion,  that 
souls  sleep  in  the  dust,  perhaps  die  with  the  body,  and  rise 
again  (if  evil)  not  to  be  tormented  for  ever,but  for  a  space  of 
time  proportionate  to  its  sin.  Thus,  they  have  invented  a 
method  of  quenching  what  Christ  calls  unquenchable  and  e- 
verlasting  fire,  and  of  putting  an  end  to  that  gnawing  worin, 
which  he  declares  shall  never  die.     Lastly,  they  roundly  al- 

*  HuLS.  Theol  Jad,  in  pr3cf.  See  also,  concerning  the  Socinia* 
praaices  and  opinions,  Jones's  letter  to  the  common  people,  annexed 
to  his  3d  edition  of  M^  Catholic  doctrine  of  a  trinity  ;  abook,>vnich 
cannot  be  two  much  diffused  or  read  by  the  common  peopk-  at  this 
time,  when  all  sorts  of  errors,  both  religious  and  political,  have 
been  employed,  with  art  and  strength  united,  to  overturn  the  con- 
stitution both  in  church  and  state.  It  is  the  interest  even  of  all 
sound  dissenters  to  oppose  schemes  and  endeavors,  which  are  al  o- 
aether  formed  against  the  very  foundations  ot  Christ.aml) ,  and, 
under  the  pretence  of  universal  liberty,  can  only  introduce  univcr- 
sal  licentiousness  s.r*d  infidelity* 


37©  CONCLUSION. 

firm,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  no  person,  and  consequently  not 
God.   Sometimes  they  inform  us,  that  He  is  the  gospel  itself, 
in  which  they   concur   with   the   Antlnomians  ;  or,  at   best, 
come  accidental  gift,  or  virtue,  or  emanation  from  the  Deit}^, 
for  some   particular   purpose,  which   being   accomplished,  it 
ceases  to  be.     Those  of  them,  who  do  allow  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  be  a  person  (for  these  masters  of  reason  differ  wonderfully 
in  their  very  corre6l  reasonings   upon   this   subje6t,)   affirm 
however,  that  he  is  a  mere  creature^  of  a  nature  heterogene- 
ous to  the  divine,  a  prince  of  the  angels,  or  the  v/hole  mass 
of  angelic  spirits  together.     How  reason  discovered  all  this 
it  is   hard  to   conceive;  but   with  some   anything  will   do, 
which  may  degrade  the  eternal  Spirit  from  its  proper  divini- 
ty.    After  such  clear  accounts  respe6ling  his  person,  his  of- 
Jices  in  the  Bible  are,  without  doubt,  most   exa6lly  handled. 
Accordingly,  they  inform  us,  that  original  sin,  and  grace,  and 
ele6lioQ,  and  justification,  and   san6lification,  are  a  parcel  of 
wild   chimeras  fit  only  for  madmen  and  fools.      Hence,  the 
comforts  of  the  Spirit,  promised  in  Scripture,  and  many  other 
spiritual   blessings  to  be  received  even  in  this  world,  are   all 
old  ivivcs''  fables^  fit  for  the   entertainment    of  superstitious 
heads,  but  by  no  means  of  such  sagacious  and  profound  rea- 
soners  as  themselves,     In  fine,  they  would  reason  the  word 
of  God  out  of  its  own  truths,  the  people   of  God   out  of  all 
their  hopes  and  comforts,  and  themselves  out  of  any  claim  to 
heaven  but  by  their  own  rational   virtues,  which  they  talk  a 
vast  deal  about,  but  which  neither  they    nor  any  body  else, 
by  human   power,  can  truly  and  properly  perform.     To  add 
no  more  upon  this  head,  the  whole  Socinian  hypothesis,  both 
in  matter  and  conducl,  is  diametrically  opposite  to  that  com- 
prehensive plan,  which  the  apostle  has  laid  down  in  the  first 
epistle  to  the  Corinthians^  beginning  with  the  17th  verse  of 
the  first  chapter,  and  ending  with  the  last  verse  of  chapter 
the  third.     'Fhey,  who  follow  ^(?<:/«mj-  and  his  reasoners  must 
reje6l  the  apostle ;  and  they,  who  credit  the  apostle,  must 
give  up  Socinus  and  them.     A  man,  who  feels  any   concern 
for  the  salvation  of  his  soul,  will  not  hesitate  which  to  chuse 
for  his   company  ;   and  especially  when    he  finds,  that    God, 
and  Christ,  prophets  and  apostles,  with  all  the  blessed  above, 
are  in  perfect  harmony  and  conjun6lion  with  St.  Paul. 

It  is  this  pretended  light  of  reason,  exercised  out  of  place 
upon  the  obje6ls  of  faith,  which  has  occasioned  or  revived 
most  of  the  heresies  in  the  world,  and  which  has  misled  mul- 
titudes of  otherwise  respecSlable  men  into  every  contrariety 
of  error.  The  not  considering,  that  our  reasoning  powers 
TiVQ  fallen  po'wers  degenerated  and  corrupt,  as  the  Scripture 
testifies,  and  as  (one  would  think)  the  proudest  heart  must 
feci  ;  is   the  grand  root  of  all  the   confusion.    Either   our 


CONCLUSION.  37X 

iPeason  /j  depraved  ;  and  so  wc  cannot  judge  properly  upon 
divine  things,  as  God  tells  us  we  cannot,  and  as  the  dif 
ference  of  our  judgments  proves  to  u  demonstnuion  • 
Or,  It  ts  not  depraved  ;  and  then  the  whole  Bible  proceedf 
upon  a  false  hypothesis,  has  nothing  to  do  with  us  nor 
we  with  it.  We  are  then  wise  for  ourselves,  and  renounce 
all  revelation  from  God.  It  is  of  no  importance,  in  the  former 
case,  to  urge  the  learning  or  attainments  which  our  faculties 
may  acquire,  unless  it  could  be  proved,  that  these  advanta- 
ges can  discover  to  us,  without  the  risque  of  any  important 
mistake,  how  we  may  renew  the  soul  and  restore  it  to  its  lost 
perfection :  And  then  likewise  we  virtually  set  aside  the  use 
and  necessity  of  a  divine  revelation.  But  this  discovery  is 
beyond  the  reach  of  art  ;  for,  as  it  was  said  by  Cicero^  there 
is  no  opinion  so  absurd,  but  which  has  been  espoused  by  some 
philosopher;  so  we  can  prove,  that  there  is  no  heresy  so 
blasphemous,  no  doclrine  so  mischievous  or  contradictory, 
but  which  has  been  supported  by  some  learned  man.  The 
higher  the  conceit  of  knowledge,  the  greater  has  been  the 
danger  of  error.  Men  of  moderate  parts,  or  attainments^ 
are  afraid  to  venture  with  those, 

Who  nobly  take  the  high  priori  road^ 

And  REASON  dovjuHvardy  till  tbey  doubt  of  God. 

POPF. 

Ordinary  men,  like  ordinary  horses,  are  preserved  from  mak- 
ing such  bold  leaps,  as  risk  every  thing  and  gain  nothing. 
The  great  wits,  who  soar  the  highest,  are  they  who  meet 
with  the  most  desperate  falls.  Providence  seems  to  have 
permitted  this  on  purpose  to  shew  the  world,  that  by  all  it» 
wisdom  it  never  knew  God,  and  by  all  its  learning  it  cannot 
explore  the  truths  of  God.  And  this  facl:  confirms  loudly  that 
voice  of  the  Scripture,  where  it  declares,  thai  the  natural 
man  reeeiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God^  J  or  tbcy 
are  foolishness  unto  him,   neither  can  he  kno'iu  them,  because 

they  are  spiritually  discerned. What  then  can  be  thought 

of  that  principle,  which  calls  God's  wisdom  folly,  and 
which  pretends,  therefore,  to  be  its  own  infallible  ^uide? 
Men  may  call  it  reason,  if  they  please,  or  any  thing 
else  i  but,  let  it  be  denominated  or  adorned  as  it  may,  cer- 
tainly it  will  one  day  be  found  to  deserve  a  very  difrerent 
name. 

The  Arian  gets  upon  the  same  reasoning  ground  with  the 
Socinian,  Latitudinariaii,  and  Ujist,  when,  instead  of  impli- 
citly believing  the  record  or  God,  he  begins  to  argue  only 
fron'i  his  own  understanding  upon  it.  He  joins  with  them  to 
make  a  demand,  like  Nicodcmus.   Husv  can  these  things  be  ? 


2,1-^  CONCLUSION. 

When  reason  can  settle  the  theory  of  the  w;W,  which  is  an 
invisible  though  material  substance  ;  it  may  have  advanc- 
ed a  step  towards  the  knowledge  of  something  higher; 
till  it  does  this  it  must  be  content  to  be  a  learner^  even 
in  the  masters  of  Israel,  It  is  not  wonderful  then,  that 
the  Arlan  like  all  other  people,  cannot  conceive^  how  the 
three  divine  persons  can  be  one  Godhead  or  essence,  nor 
How  entitled  to  the  same  a6ls  of  worship,  as  can  be  proved 
to  be  given  them  in  the  Bible,  both  in  do^lrine  and  example. 
Rather  than  submit  to  this  evidence,  he  boldly  reasons  about 
it  from  things  human  to  things  divine ;  and,  because  a  human 
son  is  inferior  to  his  father  and  was  begotten  by  him  at  a 
certain  point  of  tiiiie,  he  very  positively  concludes,  that  it 
cannot  be  otherwise  with  the  Godhead.  As  to  the  Holy 
Ghost,  he  is  very  much  at  a  loss,  what  to  do  with  him. 
Sometimes,  he  is  almost  ready  to  think  him  a  sort  of  a  little 
God,  made  by  the  plastic  power  of  the  Father,  or  perhaps  by 
tlie  joint  help  of  the  Father  and  the  Son  ;  and  sometimes  he 
will  very  roundly  insist  upon  it,  that  he  is  nothing  but  the 
plastic  power  itself,  very  handsomely  dividing  God  from  his 
own  energy.  He  gets  into  his  own  reason,  will  see  the 
ground  of  all  things  by  that  faculty,  or  will  believe  nothing. 
God's  testimony,  indeed,  if  it  can  seem  afe  any  rate  ta 
chime  in  with  his  own  notions,  will  do  very  well ;  but  set 
them  at  variance,  which  may  easily  be  done,  and  it  will 
presently  be  seen  that  our  Arian  is  only  a  concealed  idolater, 
not  worshipping  the  God  of  the  Scriptures,  bat  rather  the 
device  or  fabrication  of  his  own  reason. 

Can  the  Arminian  be  acquitted  in  this  view  j  and  is  not  he 
too  far  enlisted  (perhaps  unexpectedly  to  himself)  under  the 
same  banner  ?  He  may  and  doth  hold  the  theory  of  the  trini- 
ty rightly  enough  ;  but  if  he  be  examined  upon  the  effect  and 
operations  of  the  second  and  third  persons,  he  appears,  in  the 
mode  of  its  maintainance,  too  much,  upon  a  bottom  with  the 
Arian.  He  is  speculatively  right,  and  pra6\ically  wrong.  He 
will  deny,  for  instance,  the  particular  effecH;  of  Christ^s  re- 
demption, in  perfectly  atoning  for  the  sins  ol  bis  own  people, 
in  completely  investing  them  with  his  righteousness,  and  in 
thus  givlng"^them  7i\\  imalienable  title  to  glgry.  And  is  not 
this  a  violation  of  his  divine  sovereignty  as  king  over  Israel? 
He  limits  also  the  omnipotent  efEcacy  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
those  communications  of  grace,  by  which  he  is  the  first^  the 
j9/(?  and  the  sovereign  agent /n  the  redeemed  (as  Christ  was 
for  the  redeemed)  and  by  which  he  absolutely  and  finally  se- 
cures them  to  life  everlasting.  And  doth  not  this  seem  an 
impeachment  of  his  divinity  as  Lord  over  all  :'  *  If  it  be  in- 

*  The  author,  wisliing  to  treat  this  point  with  the  utmost  tender- 
Bess  consistent  with  truth,  would  thercibrcbc^-  any  candid  Armi.ii- 


L     O     N     C;     L     U     S     i     (J     ^. 

J  i .-. 
•  ulredof  him  :  How  he  can  boldly  reject  or  lori.ure  a  thou- 
sand pass^ag.ea  of  Scripture,  which  dire6\ly  speak  for  these 
points  or  naturally,  proceed  from  them  ;  he  Hies  off  in  a  tan- 
gent to  his  reason.  He  will  urge,  that  he  cannot  conceive, 
how  God,  consistently  with  such  and  such  attributes  (the  ideas 
of  which  are  the  offspring  of  his  own  brain)  cnii  aot  in  this 
and  that  manner  ;  that  it  is  not  reasonable  to  believe  so  ;  luul 
that,  therefore,  it  must  be  otherwise.  In  doing  this,  he  has 
left  the  plain  testimonies  of  the  Bible,  and  taken  up  the  com- 
moTi  subterfuge  of  all  heretics,— /?i^;«^/rt,  corrupted^  miserable^ 
reason.  He  will  wind  and  turn  some  texts  of  the  Bible,  ii 
may  be,  in  order  to  favor  his  rational  scheme  ;  but  this 
scheme  being (2/r(?i7^yb/'mcY/,  and  tliis  hypothesis  h^rngprcvi- 
ously  laid  down,  those  authorities  from  God  are  not  treated  as 
principals,  but  only  as  accidental  auxiliaries  to  iiis  own  na- 
tural understandiiig.  He  examines  the  counsels  of  God  by 
his  own  rule  j  and,  though  the  pre-conceived  opinions  of  his 
own  mind  are  not  to  be  reconciled  with  the  harmony  and  gen- 
eral purport  of  the  divine  declarations,  he  persists  to  foiiov/ 
the  one  against  the  other,  and  to  represent  the  will,  power, 
■diVid.  covenanted  ixViOii  of  the  Almighty,  as  truckling  to  the  will 
power,  and  contingent  inclinations  of  feeble  and  sinful  crea- 
tures."^ 

an  to  consider ;  how  far  the  causative  supremacy,  inseparable  from 
divinity,  can  be  reconciled  with  that  dependent  ov  c.>7:sequcnt  activity, 
which  his  principles  necessarily  lead  him  to  adopt,  respecling  the 
work  of  the  Son  and  Holy  Ghost  in  the  salvation  of  sinners,  lie 
may  also  refleCl,  how  it  is  possible  that  either  of  these  di^ine  per- 
sons can  hQ  ■disappointed  in  their  ofiices  of  grace,  consistent  with 
their  divinity^  and  how  far  the  maintenance  of  such  an  opinion  ne- 
cessarily derogates  from  the  vjisdom  and  omnipotence,  from  the  truth 
and  fait  hfulnssSyi^i-thGSQ  glorious  persons,  and  from  the  order, 
beauty,    and    consummation   of  all  their  works  both  in  grace  and 

nature These    things,  well  digested,  may  prove,  that  the 

charge,  severe  as  it  seems  in  won/^,  is  not  entirely  unfounded  in 
v^ry  deed, 

*  It  ought  to  be  noted  with  candor,  that  there  are  many  gooc} 
men  inclined  to  the  Arminian  principles,  who,  as  good  men,  do  cer- 
tainly (though  perhaps  not  obviously  to  themselves)  live  miiclT 
above  them.  There  are,  strange  as 'it  may  seem,  many  Armini- 
ans  in  theory,  who  are  perfect  Calvanists  in /)rt/<:r;Vc' and  ca/)e;-;c;;a,; 
Bring  them  upon  their  knees  before  Cod,  they  will  ask,  i'.e  his 
children,  in  the  deepest  confession  of  their  own  weakness,  helples£- 
nes5,  and  wants  :  Set  them  to  speak  from  their  own  hearts,  then- 
voice  will  be  the  voice  oi  Jacoi  :  But  if  their /ju^m/^  are  to  pass  ix- 
amination,  they  become  hunters  at  once  like  Esau,  and  wander 
from  the  Bible  and  the  blessing  into  the  mrzcs  of  reason  £nd 
opinion. 

Vol.  II.  -^  ^ 


374  CONCLUSION. 

Thus  the  ground  of  all  errors  in  divinity,  various  and  con^ 
tradi6lory  as  they  are  and  must  be  among  themselves,  appears 
to  be  in  the  depravity  of  reason.     People  differ  upon  all  sub- 
je6ls,  where  they  employ  their   reason,  to  a  proverb  ;  and  it 
will  be  more  in  vain,  under  such  a  guide,  to  cxpeCl  universal 
agreement  ;   than  it  was  by  the  emperor  Charles  V.  in  his  re- 
tirement, that  his  great  number  of  clocks,  which  he    strove 
to  regulate  for  that  end,  should  all  continue  to  strike  together 
in  the  same  moment  of  time.     The   truth  is,  God  made    man 
itprigbt^  but  be  hath  since  followed,   as   well  as    sought   out 
many  inventions — some  of  his  own,  and  some  even  worse  than 
his  own — the  devil's.   Were  reason  pure,  as  in  its  first  estate  ; 
it  would  be  perfecl  and  concordant  in  all  its  conclusions.   All 
men  would  think  alike. ^  in  such  a  state  of  perfedlion  ;  but  the 
difference  in  the  faculty  demonstrably  proves,  and  upon  fa6l, 
its  own  imperfection.  But  for  the  fall  there  would  have  been 
no  occasion  for  a  divine    revelation,  which  is  founded   upon 
this  grand  principle,  "  that  undone  mortals  are  without  sav- 
ing truth,  and  cannot  obtain  it  by  any  other    channel."  The 
gift  of  the  Bible   demonstrates   the  error  of  man  :   And  its 
light  explains  his  darkness.     It  demonstrates   too,  that  his 
benighted  reason,  ignorant  and  perplexed  upon  lower  obje<5\s, 
can  never  by   arguments   drawn  from  itself,  condu6l  him  to 
those  sublime  truths   which  relate  to  God.     Ail  experience 
justifies  this  do6lrine.     The  wisest  heathens  knew   nothing 
trulv  or  certainly  of  God  :   They  confessed  him  indeed  to  be 
unhwiJun:     The  best  of  them  lived  in  perplexity,  and  all  of 
them  died  in  doubt.     It  was  reserved  for  the  book  of  God,  to 
enlighten  the   do6lrine  of  immortality,  and  to  give  the  most 
convincing  evidences    for   grace    and   glory    through    Jesus 
Chri«t 

Truth,  in  all  things,  sliould  be  the  chief  concern    of  man. 
In  spiritual  things,  above  all,  it  is  of  infinite   and  everlasting 

On  the  other  hand,  it  is  equally  fair  to  note,  that  there  are  Cal- 
ainists  in  principle,  denying  the  liberty  of  the  human -vvill,  who  yet 
are  stekini^  nothing  in  the  world  but  the  liberty  or  licentiousness 
of  thiit  wiii.  Such  are  fmeivillers^  in  the  worst  sense.  In  their 
heads,  they  und'^rstand  that  grace  is  free  ;  but,  in  their  heaitsy 
thty  know  not  the  freedoin  of  grace.  They  will  talk  sovmdly  of 
Christ  and  the  Spirit,  and  salvation  ;  and/<?^/,  at  the  same  time,  no 
more  of  their  power,  than  if  they  were  fancies  or  dreams.  These 
are  but  mei-e  reasoners  in  their  way,  and  differ  only  from  others  in 
this  rcspeel,  the  one  speculating  with  and  according  to  the  Bible, 
and  the  other  without  or  contrary  to  the  Bible.  It  is  a  solemn  and 
aweful  truth  to  add,  that  such  men  are  farther  from  the  real  fosseS' 
sion  of  the  gospel  in  its  life  and  power,  than  perhaps  ail  the  other 
tribes  c<f  reasoners  put  together. 


CONCLUSION. 


75 


importance.    And,  who  can  comprehend  spiritual  things,  but 
he,  who  is,  in  some  measure,  spiritual  ?   And  who  can  enable 
a  man,  by  nature  carnal^  sold  under  sin^  to  become  tlius  spiri« 
tual,  but  the  author  and  God  of  spirits  himself?  God  gives  lo 
man  both  discernment  and  objects  to  discern.     If  He   sj^eak, 
He  speaks  nothing  but  everlasting  truth  :   And  if  lie  give  lo 
man  the  faculty  to  hear,  man  will  hear  nothing  from  him  but 
this  truth.     It  is  the  summit  of  human  wisdom  then  to  vield 
implicit   confidence  to  God.     We  know,  that  we  ourselves 
can  err  and  be  deceived  ;  for  we  err  daily.     But  if  God  can- 
not mistake  nor  delude  ;  what  may  that  bold  creature  be  cal- 
led, who  rejects  the  counsel  of  God  against  himself  and,  be- 
cause  he  cannot   scrutinize  the   understanding  and  conducSt 
of  the   Most  High,  resolves  to    follow   none   but   his  own  ? 
*'  Teach  my  best  reason,  reason,"  was  the  language  of  an  in- 
genious man  ;  and  it  should  be  the  humble  language  of  every 
man,  in  his  approaches  to  God,  or  to  the  things  of  God.*  The 
Bible  was  delivered  for  this  end;   and  when  a  man  has  grace 
to  understand  that  blessed  book,  he  possesses  a  demonstra- 
tion of  truth  in  it,  which  all  the  petty   sophisters  of  human 
wit  are  unable  to  puzzle  or  confound.   He  has  ayi  understand- 
ings luhich  is  true^  and  is  in  hiniy  who  is  both  true  and  tke 
truth  itself  ;  and  he  is  led  to  know  eventually  according  to 
the  promise,  that  the  doctrine  is  ofGod^  and  that  God  teackctb 
it  to  man.     John  vii.  17.     Is.  liv.  13. 

If  the  preceding  Essays  shall  be  blessed  to  promote  this 
■happy  efie6l  in  but  one  believer,  or  to  dispel  any  of  his  doubts 
upon  the  glorious  subjedl  to  which  they  relate,  and  much 
more  if  they  are  honourd  by  HIM,  of  whose  essential  glory 
they  treat,  to  produce  any  solid  benefit  to  the  church  of  God  ; 
the  author  will  have  attained  his  utmost  end.  He  abhors  all 
earthly  advantages  in  this  matter,  and  believes,  it  would  be 
almost  a  sacrilege  in  him,  as  a  layman,  to  receive  any.  Con- 
tent with  his  humble  station  and  retirement,  and  satisfied 
that  it  is  enough  for  a  pilgri?n  and  a  stranger  upon  earth  ;  he 
possesses  no  ambition  but  that,  which,  he  hopes  without 
pride,  is  above  the  glare  and  tinsel  of  this  mortal  life,  or  at 
least  above  all  sordid  means  to  attain  them.  He  believes, 
that  exalted  stations  may  rather  be  pitied  for  their  snares, 
and  despised  for  their  aims,  than  solicited  for  any  real  advan- 
tage to  body  or  mind.f     As  for  human  glory,  it  will  easily 

*  Idem  qui  theologia  est  aiictor,  ejus  est  ohj^cttm  ttf.ms  she  ttlla  cau- 
y,arum  confusione  :  adeo  ut  theologia  defniri  poss/t^^AriKnTiA  A 
Deo,  de  Deo,  per  Deum,  ad  Deom.  Rambuutii    1  hescs.  in  Hies. 

Sedan.    Vol.  li.  P.  17.  ,         .  r  , 

t  Who  can  read  the  mortified  declaration  of  a  man  who  %va» 
rals-d  to  the  highest  rank  that  a  subjea  can  enjoy  witliout  a  reflcc 


,;6  CONCLUSION. 

be  granted,  that,  this  is  a  wrong  road  to  its  attainment,  if  j;t 
were  truly  desirable  ;  but  the  author  has  seen  too  much  of 
men,  either  extremely  to  value  or  to  wish  for  it.'^  Human 
praise  is  mere  breath  in  the  beginning,  has  but  a  short  date, 
and  then  drops  into  everlasting  oblivion. — To  say  no  more 
upon  so  mean  a  subjeS  as  himself,  the  author  will  only  add, thai: 
he  believes  he  can  be  well  satisfied,  if  he  never  knovv's  of  any 
profit  which  God  may  in  this   instance  vouchsafe  by  him    to 

lion  upon  the  vanity  of  human  greatness  ?  After  Dr.  Tillctscn  be- 
came archbishop  oi  Canterbury^  he  left  this  acknowledgment  behind 
him  in  his  common-place  book.  "  I  doubt  it  will  prove  a  melan- 
choly business  when  a  man  comes  to  die,  to  have  made  a  great  noise 
and  bustle  in  the  world,  and  to  have  been  known  fa.r  and  near,  b«t 
all  this  while  to  have  been  hidand  concealed  from  himself.  It  is  a 
very  odd  and  fantastical  sort  of  life,  for  a  man  to  be  continually 
from  home,  and  most  of  all  a  stranger  at  his  own  house.  Ic  is  sure- 
ly an  uneasy  thing  to  sit  always  in  a  frame,  and  to  be  perpetually 
upon  a  man's  guard,  not  to  be  able  to  speak  a  careless  word,  or  to 
use  a  negligent  posture,  without  observation  and  censure.  Men 
are  apt  to  think,  that  they  who  are  in  the  highest  places,  and  have 
the  most  power,  have  most  liberty  to  say  and  do  what  they  please  ; 
but  it  is  quite  otherwise,  for  they  have  the  least  liberty,  because 
they  are  most  observed.  It  is  not  mine  own  observation  ;  a  much 
wiser  man,  I  mean  Tully^  says, In  maxima  qKaqiiefortuna  minimum 
licere  :  they,  that  are  in  the  highest  and  greatest  condition  have,  of 
all  others,  the  least  liberty."  To  which  his  biographer  adds, 
*'  All  these  and  many  more  are  the  evils,  which  attend  greatness  : 
but  what  will  not  mortals  undergo,  and  what  real  goods  will  they 
not  sacrifice,  for  the  sake  of  gratifying  vanity  ?  Biogr,  diet.  Vol.  xi. 
r.  179.  To  the  same  effe6\;  is  the  confession  also  of  a  layman  of 
the  highest  official  dignity.  Lord  i?flco?z,  the  chancellor,  declares 
that  "men  in  great  place  are  fAr/cc  servants  :  servants  of  the -^f"i,'- 
reign  or  state,  servants  of  fame,  and  servants  of  business.  So  as  they 
have  no  freedom,  either  in  ihe'ir  persons,  in  their  actions,  or  in  their 
times.  It  is  a  strange  desire  to  seek  poiver,  and  to  lose  liberty  :  or 
to  seek  power  over  others,  and  to  lose  power  over  a  w^w'j  5f^. 
The  rising  into  place  is  laborious;  and  by  pains  men  come  to 
f'-reater  pains.''  Essays^  \  xi.  These  are  net  the  declarations  of 
mere  philosophers,  nor  the  splenetic  or  sour  effusions  of  disappoint- 
ed courtiers, but  the  sober  experience  of  persons,  who  had  attain- 
ed the  summit  of  ambition  in  their  respective  professions,  and 
whose  understandings  are  beyond  all  question.  'j'he  late  lord 
Chesterfield  could  talk  of  being  *'  sated  with  the  pcmpcus  iollics  of 
life/'  but  these,  with  minds  of  a  superior  form,  seemed  perre61ly 
disgusted  with  them. 

*  Sapient ia  di\}ina — non  pendens  ex  homhnim  judiciis,  anin:cs  dec  ad- 
movet,  ob  quem  pati  ccntinnclias  honestvmtst  dchc7i€Staiventvm,lS'  op-^ 
■<  rohrium  splcndidivs  07nni  humana gloria.  ^loi.iXjEUS  de  laud.  thcoU 
\  36. 


CON     C     L     U     S     I     O     N.  37^ 

others,  or  if  be  be  never  known  bimself  as  tJic  in.sirumcr.t  of 
-it,  till  tbe  perfect  consummation  of  tbe  just.  Tbat  kiiowlcil^c 
.tben  will  not  hurt  bim,  through  tbe  natural  vanity  uliicli  now 
.cleaves  inseparably  in  tliis  life  to  all  men,  but  serve  only  to 
heighten  bis  gratitude,  and  wonder,  and  praise,  tbat,  cut  of 
the  months  of  babes  and  sucklings.  God  should  have  been  pleas- 
^edVo  ordain  the  least  dis^day  of  \\\^  strength. 

-AKD  now,  reader,  upon   tlic  close  of  this  work,  or  of  thy 
perusing  it,  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  ask  thyself,  "  What  is  ihe 
-result  of  all  these  things  ?   Are  the  proofs  and  authorities  col- 
le61:ed  from  the  Scriptures  sufficient  to  satisfy  my  mind  in  this 
important  article  of  the  Spirit's  divinity?   Have  I  obtained 
clearer  vie'iDS^  and  been  \qA  to  a  closer  experience^  of  the  truth 
in  this  matter  than  ever  before  ?"     If  thou  hast ;  bless  God, 
and  pray,  tbat  these  happy  effe6ls  may  be  increased  more  and 
-3Tiore,  to  his  glory  and  thy  edification.     But   if  «of,  and  vet 
if  it  be  thy  wish  only  to  obtain  them  ;   there  is  one  way,'  in 
-which  thou  shalt  never  err,  and  one  mode  of  study,  in  which 
thou  shalt  never  be  mistaken.     Take  the  Bible  constantly  in- 
to hand,  meditate  thereon  upon  all  convenient  opportunities, 
and  above  all  prat    over  it,  iis  a  poor,    blind,  and  helpless 
sinner,  that   God  may  teach  thee   his  mind  and  will  in  that 
hooky  and  explain  to  thy  understanding  all  the  truths  neces- 
'Sary   to  salvation.     If  thou  hast  grace  to  do  this,  and  grace 
Xo  persevere  in  doing  it;   thy  doubts  shall  gradually  vanish, 
many  present  difficulties  shall  be  satisfactorily  answered,  ma- 
ny obscurities  happily  enlightened,  and  (what  will  aniount  to 
^n  argument  of  fad;  to  thy  soul)  such  comforts,  assistances, 
and  mercies  shall  flow   into  thy  heart,  as  shall  crown  cverv 
flo6lrine   of  salvation  with  its   own  proper  experience,  and 
give    thee   to    taste ^  handle^   and  enjoy  the  ^joord  of  life.    Tiicn 
it  will  cease  to  be  a  barren,  naked  speculation  tor  the  head  ; 
but  it  will  become  food,  strength,  and  consolation  to  thy  ve- 
ry soul.      Thou  wilt  then  perceive,  that  the  glcrious  liberty 
€)f  the  children  of  God^  is  neither  noise  nor  nonsense,  neitlier 
whim  nor  notion,  but  a  solid  inheritance,  and  a  wise  as  v/el! 
as  most  enduring  joy.     Thou  wilt  have  a  sensible  and  spiri- 
tual experience,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  indeed   God  the 
Spirit,  giving  thee  that  fullness  of  the  blessing  cf  the  gcsjrl 
^Z'. Christ,  which  no  creature  can  give,  and  leading  thee  ort 
to  those  sure  mercies,  which  by  Jizhoyaii  only  can  be  en- 
joyed.'^' 

*  BhhoT)  SttllingJIreet  excellently  says  ;**  Christ  cmnftd  is  the. 
library  which  triumphant  souls  v'ill  be  studying  in  to  all  etciniiy. 
This  is  the  only  librtiry,  which  is  the  true  ixxfcnf  4i;,-rjahal  wliich 
cures  the  soul  of  all  its' maladies  and  distempers  :  other  kncukdge 
?*iDkes  men's  minds>  giddy  and  flatulent  ;  li)iftLettli-R,  and  ccmv-cst^ 


378  CONCLUSION. 

On  the  otherhand,  if,  wiser  than  the  Author  of  all  wisdom 
in  thine  own  conceit,  thou  canst  venture  to  impeach  his  ve- 
racity, or  to  question  his  account  of  his  own  being,  and,  in 
consequence  of  this,  wilt  presume  to  scan  him  by  thy  reason, 
and  to  measure  his  word  by  thine  own  understanding;  thou 
mayest  be  left,  like  thousands  before  thee,  to  this  poor  scanty 
reason  and  understanding,  which  never  did  and  never  can  fmd 
out  God  nor  his  truths,  and  mayest  wander  on^  as  heathens 
in  all  ages  have  done,  without  light,  without  hope,  and  with- 
out certainty  in  any  thing.  A  void,  an  endless  void,  dark  and 
inscrutable,  v.ill  always  meet  thy  views  ;  and  thou  must  take, 
in  a  short  time,  a  dreadful  plunge  into  what  no  air  of  confi- 
dence can  make  less  abhorrent  to  thy  soul.  And  can  it  be 
thought,  that  a  gloom  so  hateful  can  proceed  from  him,  who 
created  all  light  both  intelle6lual  and  natural,  and  who  is 
light  essential  in  himself?  Is  this  the  best  conclusion  of  hu- 
mon  reason,  (if  that  can  deserve  the  name  of  a  conclusion 
which  is  involved  in  the  deepest  doubt,)  which  leads  thee 
only  to  the  insupportable  refle6tion,  that  thou  hast  a  being 
without  knowing  any  just  or  certain  end  of  that  being?  And 
doth  not  ail  this  speak  to  thy  heart,  tlrat  a  principle,  which 
determines  in  so  dark,  so  horrid  a  result,  must  necessarily  be 
abominable  in  itself,  be  destitute  of  all  beauty,  use,  or  truth, 
andbe  wide  also  from  Him,  who  could  not  but  create  all  things 
for  these  sublime  purposes?  Admitting  only  for  a  moment, that 
the  Christian  may  be  mistaken, and  that  the  whole  of  God's  re- 
X'elationisan  empty  fable;  is  notthat  a  most  wonderful  delusion, 
which  can  impart  comfort  in  all  the  exigencies  of  life,  and  ani- 
mate the  throbbing  heart  with  unutterable  transports  in  the  ex- 
tremities of  death?  is  it  possible,there  should  be  any  here?  Is  it 
noteven  sense  and  enjoyment,wkich  all  men  desire,and  against 
which  there  is  no  arguing  ? — On  the  contrary,  view  the  bold 
and  boasting  reasoner.  If  he  think  at  all  upon  the  subje6l  ; 
it  must  be,  either  to  feed  his  vanity  by  shewing  his  talents, 
or  to  make  himself  and  others  miserable  by  making  this  vast- 
ly wise  and  profitable  discovery,  that  nothing  can  be  found 
at  ail  certain  either  in  life,  death,  or  eternity.  A  man,  who 
proceeds  upon  his  own  powers,  has  but  this  obje6l  or  this  con- 
clusion. For  tlie  proof  of  this,  read  the  writings  of  such 
men.     They  abound  in  the  most  labored  reasonings  on  these 

them :  Other  knowledge  is  apt  to  swell  men  into  high  conceits  and 
opinions  of  themselves  ;  this  brings  them  to  the  truest  view  of 
themselves,  and  thereby  to  humility  and  sobriety  ;  other  knowledge 
leaves  men's  hearts,  as  it  found  them  ;  this  alters  them,  and  makes 
them  better.  So  transcendent  an  excellency  is  there  in  the  knoiv^ 
ledge  fo  Christ  crucijied  above  the  sublimest  speculations  in  the 
world  1"     Oririncs  Sacra,     Book  iii.  c  6. 


Conclusion.         37, 

topics,  and  are  set  off  with  all  the  force  and  cle'^ance  of  com- 
position.    They  will  give  the   matter  an  air  of  plausibiiity  ; 
it  shall   run  very  smooth;   and  it  shall  sound  incomnurably 
well  ;  but  there  is  a  dreadful  dryness   running  through   the 
whole,  and  a  coldness,  very  shining  perhaps,  but  sliinni!>- like 
the  moon  in  a  frosty  night,  which  leaves  all  things  as  barren 
and  dreary  as  they  were  before.     No  ;  God's  truth  alone  can 
claim  the  honor  of  being  covijortably  true  for  eternity.    And 
that  is  the  kind  of  truth,  which  man's  nature  wants,  or  wliieh 
leads  to  the    proper  end  of  man.     All  atheistical,  deistical, 
and  other  speculations,  founded  upon  human  reason,  are  not 
only  dark,  intricate,  and  perplexed,  but  leave  the  man  just  as 
miserable  as  they  found  him.  On  the  other  hand,  if  the  Chris- 
tian is  not  and  cannot  be  Qiistaken,  in  his  trust  upon  God  ;   if 
the  Bible  shall  be  owned  at   last  for  a  divine  revelation  ;   if 
the  testimonies  of  holy  men  in  all  ages  will  at  length  be  prov- 
ed fully  authentic  ;  ^herc^  it  may  be  asked,  shall  those  bold 
worms  appear^  who  could  find  out  nothing  by  themselves  that 
was  irwQ  for  eternity^  and  yet  could  reje6t  v.^hat  had  every  evi- 
dence of  eternal  truth,  which  its  nature  or  their  nature  could 
justly  demand  ;   and  who,  destitute  of  all  comfort  in  the  know- 
ledge they  pretend  to  find,  renounced  the  peace  of  God  pro- 
posed ill  his  word,  because  it  surpassed  their  hiv  understand- 
ing\  though  it  could  not  have  been  God's  peace  if  it  had  not  ? 
If  such  be  their  wisdom,  is  it  not  a  most  dangerous  wisdom 
to  themselves,  and  a  most  unprofitable  one  to  any  beside  ? — 
Either  way,  it  is  certain,  the  Christian  is  safe  and  will  be  no 
looser  ;  while  the  infidel  can  get  nothing  before  him,  if  even 
his  notions  could  be  true  ;  whereas,  being  found  false,  anni- 
liilation  will  become  his  desirable  gain  ;  if  that  can  be  called 
n-ain^  which  is  nothing  in  ieself  and  brings  a  man  to  nothing. 
But  the  real  Christian   is  not  dragged,  like  the  evil  spirit 
in  the  gospel,  through  dry  places^sccliing  rest  and  finding  none: 
He  is  privileged  to  enjoy  the  refreshing  dj -co  from  above,  and 
both  to  believe  and  knovv"  whom  he  hath  believed.  He  cre- 
dits God's  revelation  of  his  divine  nature,  and   he  receives 
God's  testimony  concerning  his  ou^n  ;  and  in  believing  he  finds 
an  admirable  suitableness  between  God's  declaration  and  those 
spiritual  ivants^  for  the  accomodation  of  wliich  that  declara- 
tion was  given.   He  sees,  that  the  word  witnesses  of  the  Spi- 
rit who  gave  it  ;   and  he  feels,  that  the  Spirit   witnesses  the 
truth  of  his  own  word.     He  has  a  testimony  without  him,if> 
which  thousands  of  evidences  have  concurred  ;  and  a  testi- 
mony within  him,  which  likewise  has  been  confirmed  by  the 
concurrent  experience  of  thousands,  in  all  ages  and  countries 
of  the  world.      He  sees,  he  knov/s,  lie  enjoys  the  truth.     He 
does  not  speculate,  like  an  astronomer  gazing  after  a  distan 
Star,  which  he   can  r.evcr  r&ach  j  but  he  perceives  a  ligh 


3So  C     O     N     C     L     U     S     r    O     N. 

sbinlng  into  a  dark  placf^^  the  davoning  of  tbe  day^  and  thcr 
rising  of  the  true  day-star  or  sun  oF  righteousness,  /«  his 
heart.  It  gruii:nered  fa'st;  ;  then  broke  forth  illustrious: 
And  ;6/j-  fjatb  shall  shine  more  and  more  to  the  perfect  ever- 
lasting day  in  his  soiiL  Vv^ha':  joy  is  it  to  perceive  this, 
even  now,  in  a  body  or  perverseness  and  corruption,  in  a 
world  of  sin  and  iniquity  :  Bat  O  what  shall  be  the  happi- 
ness, the  rapture,  the  transport  ;  when  this  dark  dull  veil 
shall  be  removed,  and  the  believer,  face  to  face,  shall  behold 
Him,  whom  he  loved,  and  sought,  and  hoped  for,  below  I 
What  a  glow  of  admiration  and  delight  shall  possess  his 
soul  ;  v/hen  he  shall  see  all,  that  he  is  capable  of  seeing  in 
glory,  when  he  shall  enjoy  all,  that  his  nature  can  enjoy, 
of  everlasting  bliss  1  With  what  astonishment  shall  he  survey 
the  world  of  spirits  j  with  what  pleasure  shall  he  call  them 
his  friends  I  What  wonders  of  grace,  life,  harn^ony  and  glory, 
shall  break  in-wpon  his  enraptured  soul  on  every  side  !  espe- 
cially, when  he  shall  behold  his  dear  R-edeemer,  crowned 
with  ineffable  splendor,  smiling  upon  him  with  love  and  be- 
nignity, and  blessing  him  v/ith  the  complete  participation  of 
bis  kingdom!  Then  shall  the  Blessed  Spirit,  who  condu6l- 
ed  him  through  the  wretchedness  of  time,  pour  the  full  glad- 
ness of  hsaven  into  his  soul,  by  giving  him  such  ccmmuniort 
with  the  everlasting  and  ever-glorious  Trinity,  as  will  ex- 
cite ineffable  adoration  to  each  of  the  Divine  Persons  for 
their  respe6live  omces,  and  to  the  Vi^ioLE  Godhead  for  the 
plorious  covenant  of  salvation,  world  without  end. 

To   FATHER,    SON,    and  SPIRIT,  three  divine' 

PERSONS    IN    ONE    AND    THE    SAME    JEHOVAH,     AS    TO    THE 

TRINITY  IN  UNITY;    and    to  the  one    JEHOVAH^ 

EXISTINC;      IN      THE      THREE      PERSONS    OF     FATHER,    SON, 

AND  SPIRIT,  AS  TO  THE  UNITY  IN  TRINITY  ;  BE  all 
Honor,  Grace,  and  Glory,  ascribed  by  axl  cre.vtuues^ 

THROUGH    ALL    AGES,       Amen. 


t  H  £    END. 


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f.hAi 


